Books like 'The Cold Dish'
Readers who enjoyed The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery action / adventure small town thriller western crime law-enforcement suspense police-procedural
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Gators and Garters by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 18 ratings‘Til death do us part?Ida Belle, Fortune, and Gertie are gearing up for the big day—Ida Belle’s wedding to Walter—but when the caterer goes missing just a week before the big day, it puts a huge black mark on the joyous celebration... -
The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsIt's the following Thursday.Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer... -
Baskets and Beignets by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWorth dyeing for.Ten years ago, Ryan Comeaux was convicted of killing his girlfriend and was sentenced to life in prison. Now a witness has come forward who claims she was with Ryan the entire night and it’s not possible that he was the killer. But the local police assume she’s mistaken and aren’t interested in reopening what they view as an open-and-shut case... -
Fortune Funhouse by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThe traveling carnival has made its stop in Sinful and everyone is ready for thrilling rides, challenging games, and most importantly, funnel cake. But when a man is murdered in the funhouse and Emmaline LeBlanc is knocked unconscious so the killer can escape, the good times are over... -
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Bullets and Beads by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLet the good times roll? It’s Mardi Gras time and Fortune is looking forward to seeing the spectacle firsthand, but when a visitor to Sinful is murdered during the celebration there, Fortune, Ida Belle, and Gertie can’t help but wonder what happened... -
A Merciful Promise by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Wall Street Journal bestselling series continues as Mercy Kilpatrick becomes embedded in the nightmare of a terrorist conspiracy.The job: infiltrate a militia amassing illegal firearms in an isolated forest community. FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick is the ideal candidate. She knows Oregon. She’s near the compound... -
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsWhen an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes. Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary... -
Cajun Fried Felony by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsVenus Thibodeaux had a reputation for being trouble. Some said she started at birth. When she finally left Sinful shortly after turning eighteen, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. When she blew back into town four years later, no one was happy about her return... -
Swamp Santa by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIt’s Christmas in Sinful and Fortune is set to participate in all the local hoopla. A Christmas gala, caroling, and a sleigh ride are on the agenda. Murder is not. But when someone bumps off Santa, Fortune is aware a killer is lurking among the holiday cheer... -
A Merciful Fate by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the next book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling Mercy Kilpatrick series, there are no such things as little secrets…Raised by preppers, survivalist and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick has a deep-rooted need for a safe place. Her getaway in the Cascade Foothills is her secret... -
What I've Done by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestseller.In the fourth book of the multimillion-copy bestselling series, Morgan Dane’s new client has blood on her hands—and no recollection of what happened.Haley Powell wakes up covered in blood, with no memory of the night before...Categorized as:
crime drama law-enforcement police-procedural realistic suspense whodunit action-adventure -
Hurricane Force by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Jana DeLeon, the seventh book in the Miss Fortune series. A force to be reckoned with… During missions as a CIA assassin, Fortune Redding saw and overcame most every obstacle, but Sinful, Louisiana, keeps producing new challenges for her. When a hurricane blows through, it brings a shower of counterfeit money raining down on the tiny bayou town... -
Save Your Breath by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMorgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger investigate the mysterious disappearance of a true-crime writer.When true-crime writer Olivia Cruz disappears with no signs of foul play, her new boyfriend, Lincoln Sharp, suspects the worst. He knows she didn’t leave willingly and turns to attorney Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger to find her before it’s too late...Categorized as:
crime dark drama law-enforcement police-procedural realistic suspense action-adventure -
A Merciful Silence by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIn the fourth book of the Wall Street Journal bestselling series, FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick must unlock the mystery of a mass murder, and the secrets of its silent witness… For Mercy Kilpatrick, returning to rural Oregon has meant coming to terms with her roots. Raised as a prepper, Mercy is now relying on her survivalist instincts to defend her town from the people the law can’t reach... -
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Bones Don't Lie by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsShocking evidence hits close to home for attorney Morgan Dane and PI Lance Kruger as Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh’s acclaimed series continues. Private investigator Lance Kruger was just a boy when his father vanished twenty-three years ago...Categorized as:
crime dark law-enforcement police-procedural suspense whodunit action-adventure adult -
The Keeper of Bees by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEmery Hazard has pretty much everything under control. He and his fiancé, John-Henry Somerset, are more in love than ever, despite the stress of wedding preparations hanging over them. His business as a private investigator is growing. He’s even enjoying time with his growing circle of friends... -
Secrets Collide by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe mysterious Cy Davies is coming home. He’s not coming alone either. Having rescued Gemma Perry, a sassy investigative reporter for a gossip magazine, he takes her to the one place he knows he can keep her safe. Keeneston. Gemma Perry was having a bad week. Now she was in a small town where gossip was a currency... -
Later Gator by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA poacher is at work in Sinful, Louisiana, and Deputy Carter LeBlanc is hot on the trail of the outlaw, trying to apprehend him before the state gets wind of the crime and sends a game warden to take over his investigation... -
Lethal Bayou Beauty by Jana Deleon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNo one in Sinful liked Pansy Arceneaux, but who hated her enough to kill her? When aspiring actress Pansy Arceneaux returns to Sinful, Louisiana to head up the beauty pageant portion of the Summer Festival, CIA assassin Fortune Redding knows she’s in for trouble... -
Wolf Pack by C.J. Box, David Chandler
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWyoming game warden Joe Pickett encounters bad behavior on his own turf--only to have the FBI and the DOJ ask him to stand down.The good news is that Joe Pickett has his job back, after his last adventure in The Disappeared...Categorized as:
crime friendship law-enforcement police-procedural suspense western thriller action-adventure -
Shadow: A Linear Tactical Romantic Suspense Standalone by Janie Crouch
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHeath Kavanaugh lost years of his life working for a covert agency that ended up being the enemy. Knowing they put something inside his head— constant, incomprehensible whispers —is driving him crazy. He needs answers, but they’re nowhere to be found... -
Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsPip is not a detective anymore.With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing... -
Bake Off by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMaddie Baker hasn’t seen Detective Noah Langley since he ghosted her a month ago, but now she needs his help to find a missing woman. When Maddie Baker offers a self-defense course, a terrified young woman asks her for private lessons to escape a chokehold. Maddie readily agrees to meet Amy the next morning, but when she doesn’t show up, Maddie becomes concerned... -
Hear My Heart by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMilitary duty called them away to war zones, but after tours overseas, the group of friends found their way back home as men, seeking the peaceful little seaside town. Now, the band of brothers, together once more, work to provide a place for less fortunate veterans to call home...Categorized as:
drama law-enforcement police-procedural suspense action-adventure adult book contemporary -
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Sweet Rose by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJason Boswell had moved to Baytown at the invitation of his Navy buddy to open a garage and tattoo parlor. He never meant to start off on the wrong foot with the beautiful Rose. Rose Parker wanted to open an ice-cream parlor in Baytown, but life kept handing her one setback after another. And for Jason? It appeared that he managed to get everything he wanted...Categorized as:
drama law-enforcement police-procedural suspense action-adventure adult audiobook book -
Malone's Fate by Laylah Roberts, Golden Czermak
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe met the love of his life, and then she disappeared without a trace . . .That was it.Tanner wasn’t going to fall in love again. The pain wasn’t worth it. So what if all his brothers had met their soulmate?There had to be one wild, crazy Malone left to live up to their reputation.Right?Wrong.Because he hadn’t counted on fate walking back into his life.Only this time, she's not alone... -
A Better Man by Louise Penny
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsCatastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny.It's Gamache's first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir... -
Rising Storm by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsKatelyn Jacks was used to being front and center as a model. But she never had to confront the Keeneston Grapevine! After retiring from the runway and returning to town to open a new animal clinic, Katelyn found that her life in the public eye was anything but over... -
The Wrong Bones by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA frantic chase to catch a grave robber reveals a startling discovery in this tenth installment of the Widow’s Island novella series by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.Deputy Tessa Black spots a man disturbing a grave in the local cemetery and gives chase. But when Tessa catches him, she learns that the ghoulish trespasser wasn’t robbing graves; he was burying a box of bones...Categorized as:
cozy crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense thriller action-adventure adult -
Acquiring Trouble by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThis is the third book in the Bluegrass Brothers series by USA Today Best-selling author, Kathleen Brooks. As a natural born leader, Miles Davies accomplishes anything he puts his mind to. Upon returning home from his special forces duties, he has become the strong foundation of the Davies family and his company... -
A Merciful Secret by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn this Wall Street Journal bestseller, a pair of ritual murders could expose Mercy Kilpatrick to something terrifying: her own past…Raised off the grid by survivalists, Mercy Kilpatrick believed in no greater safeguard than the backwoods of Oregon. Unforgiven by her father for abandoning the fold for the FBI, Mercy still holds to her past convictions. They’re in her blood... -
Cold Hearted by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHunting For A Killer...Who Doesn't Play By The Rules. Detective Erin Donovan expects life to quiet down after the arrest and conviction of a serial rapist who terrified her university town last summer. Then two young women are brutally slain and the murders bear all the hallmarks of the campus rapist...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement poc-mc police-procedural suspense action-adventure adult audiobook -
High Impact by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsManager for Hart’s Horse Rescue, Lucy Lenoir, finally feels she has a handle on life after having worked hard to leave her old one behind. So hard, there are times she almost forgets what she escaped. Memories which suddenly come flooding back when she catches a glimpse of a familiar horseman in town. What’s worse, he’s in the company of the unlikely cowboy she’s only just beginning to trust... -
Guarding Your Heart: Baytown Boys by Maryann Jordan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSophie Bayles was devastated by grief when her beloved brother, a soldier, had been killed in action when she was a teenager. Guarding her heart, she left Baytown and the boy she had loved…her brother’s best friend. Callan Ward lucked out when he was assigned to the Coast Guard station in his hometown of Baytown...Categorized as:
drama law-enforcement police-procedural suspense action-adventure adult book contemporary -
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In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsListening Length 10 hours and 20 minutesDetective Tracy Crosswhite has a skill, and a soft spot, for tackling unsolved crimes. Having lost her own sister to murder at a young age, Tracy has dedicated her career to bringing justice and closure to the families and friends of victims of crime...Categorized as:
crime drama indigenous-mc law-enforcement poc-mc police-procedural suspense thriller -
The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsYou’re a coward.Time and again, as the New Year approaches, that charge is leveled against Armand Gamache.It starts innocently enough.While the residents of the Québec village of Three Pines take advantage of the deep snow to ski and toboggan, to drink hot chocolate in the bistro and share meals together, the Chief Inspector finds his holiday with his family interrupted by a simple request... -
Hide Away by Jason Pinter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFrom the bestselling author of the Henry Parker series comes a page-turning thriller about a vigilante who’s desperate to protect her secrets—and bring a killer to justice.On the surface, Rachel Marin is an ordinary single mother; on the inside, she’s a fierce, brilliant vigilante...Categorized as:
crime drama law-enforcement police-procedural suspense thriller action-adventure adult -
Risky Shot by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDanielle De Luca, an ex-beauty queen who is not at all what she seems, leaves the streets of New York after tracking the criminals out to destroy her. She travels to Keeneston, Kentucky to make her final stand by the side of her best friend, McKenna Mason. While in Keeneston, Danielle meets the quiet and mysterious Mohtadi Ali Rahmen, a modern day Prince... -
Bone Deep by Kendra Elliot
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhen two men kidnap former FBI agent Cate Wilde’s fiancé, the boldness of the crime rattles the community. Desperate to find the man she loves, Cate joins forces with the FBI and the local sheriff’s department to launch an investigation and bring Dr. Henry Powers home...Categorized as:
cozy crime law-enforcement police-procedural suspense thriller action-adventure adult -
The Rational Faculty by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThree months have passed since Emery Hazard and John-Henry Somerset faced a madman and lived to tell about it. Three months have passed since Emery Hazard resigned from his job as a detective. Three months can be too long and too short, all at the same time. On Halloween, a professor at the local college is murdered in his apartment, in front of dozens of witnesses. Then the killer disappears... -
Montana Ranger's Wedding Vow by Elle James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDallas Hayes muscled her way through Army Ranger training only to be considered a curse on her all-male unit in an operation in Syria. When half the team is killed, she’s left Injured, losing the lower portion of her left leg. Back in the States, she’s fitted with a prosthetic, still jogs and works out, but she’s medically discharged. Angry and resentful, she doesn't trust anyone... -
Rest in Pink by Jennifer Crusie, Bob Mayer
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the NY Times Bestselling duo that wrote Agnes and the Hitman, the second book in a new series.Liz Danger is a ghostwriter, trapped in her old hometown for the summer... -
A Good Day for Chardonnay by Darynda Jones
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsRunning a small-town police force in the mountains of New Mexico should be a smooth, carefree kind of job. Sadly, full-time Sheriff--and even fuller-time coffee guzzler--Sunshine Vicram, didn't get that memo.All Sunshine really wants is one easy-going day. You know, the kind that starts with coffee and a donut (or three) and ends with take-out pizza and a glass of chardonnay (or seven)... -
Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsFrom Nora Roberts comes the #1 New York Times bestseller Shelter in Place (June 2018) — a powerful tale of heart, heroism...and propulsive suspense.It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses... -
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High Meadow by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn emergency call to pick up an injured stallion on the side of the road sends Alexandra Hart, the new owner of Hart's Horse Rescue, into action. A recent addition to the area, she is not impressed when the animal's taciturn owner shows up. With his less-than-stellar disposition, he’s the kind of man she normally avoids at all costs, unfortunately, he owns the ranch just down the road... -
Rescuer by B.J. Wane
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA deranged psychopath. A woman intent on getting justice. A man who vows to keep her safe.Park Ranger Ben Wilcox finds himself drawn to the attractive tourist visiting Mountain Bend, and curious about her evasions to simple inquiries. When he is assigned as her temporary Dom at his private club, his interest and protective instinct grows... -
Bad Beat by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBad Beat is book 7 in the series A Good Run Of Bad Luck and should be read in order. This book also precedes Parker and GoodKnight from The Reed Security series.FinnMy wife and child were gone in the blink of an eye, and I wasn't there for it. I gave up all I owned, sold everything I had just to find them, but after two years I had no more resources. I finally admitted they were never coming home... -
Iron Will by B.J. Daniels
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAre a dead woman’s secretsenough to kill for…? Hank Savage has always believed his old girlfriend was murdered. Now he’s come home to Cardwell Ranch and, with the help of PI Frankie Brewster, is determined to find the killer. Trying to keep their feelings at bay, Hank and Frankie quickly learn that every lead reveals a life steeped in secrets—and danger... -
Lost in Bliss by Sophie Oak
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings[Siren Menage Everlasting: Erotic Cowboy Menage a Trois Romance, M/F/M] Laura Niles left her past behind. She fled Washington, DC, with her career in ruins and her love life decimated. In her desperate flight, she found a home in Bliss, Colorado. For five years, Rafe Kincaid and Cameron Briggs have searched for the only woman they've ever loved... -
Follow Me Home by D.K. Hood
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratings‘Don’t you agree Detective? That some people deserve to die? I’ve killed the first. I’ve killed the second. Now will you catch the others, or do I have to kill them too?’ The body of Amos Price lies in a pool of blood on the polished floor of an otherwise empty house. With no signs of a break in, and no clues left at the scene, Detective Jenna Alton is at a loss...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement police-procedural revenge suspense thriller action-adventure adult
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