Books like 'Missing Joseph'
Readers who enjoyed Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery 20th century small town thriller crime law-enforcement suspense police-procedural whodunit
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Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper asking readers to send rocks in honor of loved ones to create something life-giving but the building halts when tragedy strikes. Decades later, Annie returns to the coastal Maine town where stone ruins spark her curiosity and her search for answers faces a battle against time... -
![These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon]()
These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn These High, Green Hills we're once again in Mitford, a southern village of local characters so heartwarming and hilarious you'll wish you lived right next door. At last, Mitford's rector and lifelong bachelor, Father Tim, has married his talented and vivacious neighbor, Cynthia... -
![Out to Canaan by Jan Karon]()
Out to Canaan by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFather Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his talented and vivacious wife, Cynthia, are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement. They're also trying to locate the scattered siblings of Dooley Barlowe, the mountain boy they love as their own. A brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development, and a tough survivor must hunker down for the fight of her life... -
![A Light in the Window by Jan Karon]()
A Light in the Window by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratings- Readers will enjoy a story from the popular series-packaged bestseller!- Includes new Reader's Guide for group discussion or personal... -
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![At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon]()
At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsEnter the world of Mitford, and you won't want to leave.It's easy to feel at home in Mitford. In these high, green hills, the air is pure, the village is charming, and the people are generally lovable.Yet, Father Tim, the bachelor rector, wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge... -
![5-B Poppy Lane by Debbie Macomber]()
5-B Poppy Lane by Debbie Macomber
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJoin #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber in Cedar Cove this Christmas! Come to 5-B Poppy Lane, where you’ll meet Helen Shelton, her granddaughter Ruth, and Ruth’s husband, Paul. They’ll offer you a cup of mulled cider and tell you the story of how Ruth and Paul met. And you’ll hear about Helen’s breathtaking adventures during the Second World War! Debbie Macomber’s Cedar Cove... -
![Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger]()
Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Quetico-Superior Wilderness: more than two million acres of forest, white-water rapids, and uncharted islands on the Canadian/American border. Somewhere in the heart of this unforgiving territory, a young woman named Shiloh -- a country-western singer at the height of her fame -- has disappeared...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown]()
Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOn a rainy Southern night, Jade Sperry endured a young woman's worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals and at the center of scandal and tragedy, Jade ran as far and as fast as she could. But she never forgot the sleepy "company town" where every man, woman, and child was dependent on one wealthy family... -
![The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs]()
The Beekeeper's Ball by Susan Wiggs
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsEscape to beautiful Bella Vista for a heartwarming story of sisters, new beginnings and hidden family secrets.Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef from sun-drenched Sonoma, California, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school. Bella Vista's rambling hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel's project.. -
!['Salem's Lot by Stephen King]()
'Salem's Lot by Stephen King
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 73 ratingsThousands of miles away from the small township of 'Salem's Lot, two terrified people, a man and a boy, still share the secrets of those clapboard houses and tree-lined streets. They must return to 'Salem's Lot for a final confrontation with the unspeakable evil that lives on in the town... -
![The Other by Thomas Tryon]()
The Other by Thomas Tryon
Rated: 3.96 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsEntranced and terrified, the reader of The Other is swept up in the life of a Connecticut country town in the thirties—and in the fearful mysteries that slowly darken and overwhelm it.Originally published in 1971, The Other is one of the most influential horror novels ever written... -
![Chocolat by Joanne Harris]()
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Rated: 3.98 of 5 stars · 67 ratingsWhen the exotic stranger Vianne Rocher arrives in the old French village of Lansquenet and opens a chocolate boutique called “La Celeste Praline” directly across the square from the church, Father Reynaud identifies her as a serious danger to his flock. It is the beginning of Lent: the traditional season of self-denial. The priest says she’ll be out of business by Easter... -
![The Last Juror by John Grisham]()
The Last Juror by John Grisham
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsIn 1970, one of Mississippi s more colorful weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times, went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay of many, ownership was assumed by a 23-year-old college dropout, named Willie Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim until a young mother was brutally raped and murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt family...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult audiobook -
![Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger]()
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
Rated: 3.92 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPart Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered by his "former" status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his children, Cork gets by on heavy doses of caffeine, nicotine, and guilt. Once a cop on Chicago's South Side, there's not much that can shock him...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense whodunit thriller 20th-century action-adventure -
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![Needful Things by Stephen King]()
Needful Things by Stephen King
Rated: 3.94 of 5 stars · 71 ratingsFrom the Flap:With a demonic blend of malice and affection, Stephen King says goodbye to the town he put on the map -- Castle Rock, Maine . . . where Polly Chalmers runs You Sew and Sew and Sheriff Alan Pangborn is in charge of keeping the peace. It's a small town, and Stephen King fans might think they know its secrets pretty well; they've been here before... -
![The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman]()
The Wine of Angels by Phil Rickman
Rated: 3.89 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe first in the historically rich, atmospheric mystery series featuring female exorcist Reverend Merrily WatkinsThe new vicar had never wanted a picture-postcard parish—or a huge and haunted vicarage... -
![The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs]()
The Figure in the Shadows by John Bellairs
Rated: 3.88 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLewis thought the amulet would bring him good luck--instead, it brought nothing but evil.Lewis is sure that Grandpa Barnavelt's 1859 lucky coin is really a magic talisman in disguise. With its power, he could do anything he wante--like get back at bully Woody Mingo.But as soon as he begins wearing the coin around his neck, strange things start to happen...Categorized as:
law-enforcement suspense 20th-century action-adventure audiobook book children children-books -
![Finding Laura by Kay Hooper, Kate Fleming]()
Finding Laura by Kay Hooper, Kate Fleming
Rated: 3.86 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCharming, seductive Peter Kilbourne has been found stabbed to death in a seedy motel room, and Laura Sutherland, the struggling artist who was one of the last people to see Peter alive, is one of the first to be suspected of his murder... -
![The Cat Who Tailed a Thief by Lilian Jackson Braun]()
The Cat Who Tailed a Thief by Lilian Jackson Braun
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn this latest installment, prizewinning reporter Jim Qwilleran—along with his lovable Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum—solve a mystery that arises when a local banker dies under suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a flashy young widow, an unfinished house-restoration project, and a trail of clues as elusive as a cat burglar in the night . .Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement whodunit 20th-century adult amateur-sleuth animals anthropomorphism -
![Death of a Travelling Man by M.C. Beaton]()
Death of a Travelling Man by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsSergeant Hamish Macbeth finds Sean Gourlay too handsome. The agent of evil pretends to be gypsy traveller with gutter-mouth Cheryl, disrupts Lochdubh village. The doctor is missing drugs. The Ladies' Club is missing money. Spinsters Nessie and Jessie want to move...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense whodunit 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton]()
Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.80 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsHamish Macbeth, the laid-back constable of Lochdubh, Scotland, has a new Land Rover to drive and a Highland summer to savor, but as fast as rain rolls in from the loch, his happy life goes to hell in a handbasket. The trouble begins when his beloved Priscilla Halburton-Smythe returns from London . . . with a fiancé on her arm...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural whodunit thriller 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon]()
Harvest Home by Thomas Tryon
Rated: 3.85 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsOne of the touchstone horror novels of the 1970s, Harvest Home was Thomas Tryon's second novel and was published to wide critical and commercial acclaim. This new edition features the original color dust jacket art by Paul Bacon, new interior works by Alex McVey, a new introduction by Tim Curran, and an afterword by a number of Tryon associates... -
![The Auctioneer by Joan Samson, Grady Hendrix]()
The Auctioneer by Joan Samson, Grady Hendrix
Rated: 3.83 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOne of the finest and best-selling horror novels of the 1970s returns at last to chill a new generation of readers In the isolated farming community of Harlowe, New Hampshire, where life has changed little over the past several decades, John Moore and his wife Mim work the land that has been in his family for generations... -
![Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton]()
Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn her fifth outing, Agatha Raisin - the sometimes pushy, sometimes endearing heroine of Beaton's Cotswold village mystery series - has her marriage to next-door neighbour James Lacey disrupted by the startling appearance of her undivorced, long-thought-dead first husband, Jimmy Raisin. Matters go quickly from bad to worse when Jimmy is found murdered - and Agatha and James are the prime suspects...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement whodunit thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth -
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![Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton]()
Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.79 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the author of the Agatha Raisin television series...DEATH OF A CAD: A Hamish Macbeth MysteryWhen Priscilla Halburton-Smythe brings her London playwright fiancé home to Lochdubh, everybody in town is delighted . . . except for love-smitten Constable Hamish Macbeth. Yet his affairs of the heart will have to wait...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural whodunit thriller 20th-century adult audiobook -
![Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker]()
Mercy Snow by Tiffany Baker
Rated: 3.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the tiny town of Titan Falls, New Hampshire, the paper mill dictates a quiet, steady rhythm of life. But one day a tragic bus accident sets two families on a course toward destruction, irrevocably altering the lives of everyone in their wake.June McAllister is the wife of the local mill owner and undisputed first lady in town... -
![Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton]()
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThere is nothing more depressing for a middle-aged lovelorn woman with bald patches on her head than to find herself in an English seaside resort out of season...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement whodunit 20th-century action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth audiobook -
![Gallows View by Peter Robinson]()
Gallows View by Peter Robinson
Rated: 3.76 of 5 stars · 25 ratings"A Peeping Tom is frightening the women of Eastvale; two glue-sniffing young thugs are breaking into homes and robbing people; an old woman may or may not have been murdered. Investigating these cases is Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks, a perceptive, curious and compassionate policeman recently moved to the Yorkshire Dales from London to escape the stress of city life...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stabenow]()
A Cold Day For Murder by Dana Stabenow
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsEighteen months ago, Aleut Kate Shugak quit her job investigating sex crimes for the Anchorage DA's office and retreated to her father's homestead in a national park in the interior of Alaska. But the world has a way of beating a path to her door, however remote. In the middle of one of the bitterest Decembers in recent memory ex-boss - and ex-lover - Jack Morgan shows up with an FBI agent in tow...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense whodunit thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton, Donada Peters]()
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham by M.C. Beaton, Donada Peters
Rated: 3.75 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAfter a home dye job ruins her hair, Agatha Raisin, the prickly yet lovable amateur sleuth, turns to the wonderful new hairdresser in the neighboring town for help. And as Agatha soon learns, Mr. John is as skilled at repairing her coiffure as he is at romancing her heart. But the charming Mr. John isn't all he appears to be...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement whodunit 20th-century action-adventure adult amateur-sleuth audiobook -
![Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet]()
Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet
Rated: 3.64 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsVicar Max Tudor, reveling in his new-found personal happiness with Awena Owen, feels that life at the moment holds no greater challenge than writing his Easter sermon. With Awena away, he looks forward to a dinner that includes newcomers to the village like West End dramatist Thaddeus Bottle and his downtrodden wife Melinda... -
![The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton]()
The Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.73 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsPutting all her eggs in one basket, Agatha Raisin gives up her successful PR firm, sells her London flat, and samples a taste of early retirement in the quiet village of Carsely. Bored, lonely and used to getting her way, she enters a local baking contest: Surely a blue ribbon for the best quiche will make her the toast of the town...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement suspense whodunit thriller 20th-century action-adventure adult -
![Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton, Penelope Keith]()
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death by M.C. Beaton, Penelope Keith
Rated: 3.71 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAgatha Raisin's neighbouring village of Ancombe is usually the epitome of quiet rural charm, but the arrival of a new mineral-water company - which intends to tap into the village spring - sends tempers flaring and divides the parish council into two stubborn camps... -
![Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell]()
Back Roads by Tawni O'Dell
Rated: 3.69 of 5 stars · 26 ratings"One day you're that guy who's happy he managed to survive high school and get that almighty piece of paper, and you're thinking you might try to get a job at Redi-Mix concrete where your dad's worked since the beginning of time. And at least you've got a family you can stand even if they are all sisters... -
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![Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton]()
Death of a Gossip by M.C. Beaton
Rated: 3.67 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsScottish highland village cop Hamish Macbeth must find which target was provoked enough to strangle and drown nasty fat widowed tabloid reporter Jane Winters, who revealed many others' guilty secrets. Much is from the viewpoint of a naive secretary seduced by a blue-blood playboy. Icy blond beauty, aristocratic Priscilla Halburton-Smythe, lends a hand...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense whodunit thriller 20th-century action-adventure -
![Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier]()
Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier
Rated: 3.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"As if baking Christmas cookies, knitting a jumper for her husband’s gift, and making her daughter’s angel costume for the church pageant weren’t enough things for Lucy Stone’s busy Christmas schedule, she’s also working the night shift at a mail-order company...
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