Books like 'Little Boy Afraid'
Readers who enjoyed Little Boy Afraid by Marshall Thornton also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical romance mystery mlm lgbtq suspense historical-fiction
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Murder Book by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second of the Boystown mysteries to be a finalist for the Lambda Award, it’s fall 1982 and Chicago is gripped by panic after five people die from poisoned Tylenol capsules. Amid the chaos, the Bughouse Slasher takes his eighth victim, this time striking close to private investigator Nick Nowak. With the Chicago Police Department stretched to its limit, Nick takes matters into his own hands... -
The Tell Tale by Clare Ashton
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA small town, enduring love, a web of secrets.The Tell Tale has been watching and waiting, because there’s something queer about the village of Foel.Beth Griffiths has returned home to raise her daughter in the Welsh hills. They arrive to the open arms of the community, but not all is what it seems and Beth isn’t home for the reason she pretends either... -
From the Ashes by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s winter 1984. Private Investigator Nick Nowak has allowed his life to fall to pieces: He’s stopped taking cases, given up his apartment and taken a job as a bartender at a sleazy joint tucked under the El. All he wants to do is stay hidden and lick his wounds after the death of his lover, Detective Bert Harker... -
The Gilded Lily by Irina Shapiro
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery old house has its secrets, so it comes as no surprise when a relic of a noble Victorian family is discovered in the new home of historical author Nicole Rayburn and her husband Kyle. Curious about the lovely young woman in the sepia photograph, Nicole delves into the history of the family and stumbles on a long-forgotten mystery... -
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The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance from award-winning author KJ CharlesAbandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that's over almost as quickly as it began... -
Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth Camden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMaggie Molinaro survived a hardscrabble childhood in the downtrodden streets of Manhattan to become a successful businesswoman. After a decade of sacrifice, she now owns a celebrated ice cream company, but when she offends a corrupt banker, she unwittingly sets off a series of calamities that threaten to destroy her life's work... -
The Lies That Bind by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe eighth book of the best-selling Boystown Mystery Series begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. Private investigator Nick Nowak is pulled into the troubled world of freelance journalist, and all around pain-in-the-ass, Christian Baylor. When Christian can’t stop lying about the corpse in his bathroom things slip slowly out of control... -
Bloodlines by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn the latest book in the Boystown Mystery series, Private Investigator Nick Nowak finds himself simultaneously working two cases for his new client, law firm Cooke, Babcock and Lackerby. A suburban dentist has just been convicted of murdering her adulterous husband, Nick is asked to interview witnesses for the penalty phase of the trial—and possibly find the dead man’s mistress... -
Josh Lanyon Collected Novellas #1 by Josh Lanyon
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn Dangerous Ground a casino robbery finds government agents Taylor and Will playing a game of cat-and-mouse with remorseless killers in the wilderness of California's High Sierras. Snowball in Hell introduces police detective Lt. Matthew Spain and reporter Nathan Doyle, men thrown together by murder. But, in post-WWII Los Angeles consequences of their attraction are serious, even for good guys... -
Lightning on a Quiet Night: In the years following World War II, a town too proud of its own virtues deals with its first murder. by Donn Taylor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"Taylor’s powerful historical romance is filled with passion and heart, spiced with mystery and a keen understanding of the human condition." ~ Publishers Weekly Despite the implications of this crime, the town of Beneficent, Mississippi, population 479, tries desperately to hold onto its vain self-image... -
Fade Out by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Lambda Award-winning Boystown Mystery series comes to a close with Boystown 13: Fade Out. When a box containing a woman’s corpse shows up at his doorstep, Private Investigator Nick Nowak finds himself accused of murder. The police are convinced it’s Rita Lindquist—a woman who once shot Nick. Their case is thin, but they and the state’s attorney are determined to prosecute him... -
A Time For Secrets by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the first full-length novel of the Boystown series, it’s late summer 1982 and private detective Nick Nowak is asked to find a retired gentleman’s long lost lover. Instead, he finds himself embroiled in a decades old murder connected to the man who wants tobe Chicago’s next mayor... -
Rag and Bone by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsOne of the most highly acclaimed writers in the mystery genre "explores new emotional depths" in this last Henry Rios novel. The gay Mexican-American attorney, after the loss of his lover, must face his own mortality while recovering from a heart attack-and reach out to a family he didn't know he had... -
Golden Terrace, Vol. 2 by Cang Wu Bin Bai, 苍梧宾白
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs the bond between Fu Shen and Yan Xiaohan deepens, the looming threat above the empire of Great Zhou remains omnipresent. After the settlement of the Kuangshan Academy case, Yan Xiaohan accompanies Prince Qi southward to Jingchu. However, an unexpected storm traps Prince Qi’s party inside a mysterious temple and leads Yan Xiaohan into a hidden lion’s den... -
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无双 Peerless by Meng Xi Shi, 梦溪石
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings开皇三年,上承北朝,下开盛唐的大隋刚刚拉开序幕,隋帝杨坚设解剑府,为布谋摄密,一统天下而准备。风雪之夜,于阗国前来朝贡的车队中途被劫杀,无一活口,解剑府二府主凤霄,奉帝命亲往调查。边陲六工城中,各方势力风云际会,高人强者狭路相逢。向来无往不利的凤二府主,却在一个病鬼道士身上碰了壁。不斗不知道,一斗才发现,这病痨鬼的马甲居然比自己还多。古代悬疑破案文,庙堂之高,江湖之远,你要的都有。cp:身体很残分分钟都可能挂掉的智商担当颜控受vs武力值爆表很爱演戏的自恋洁癖攻半架空,不考据。 "Peerless"In the third year of the Kaihuang era, as the Great Sui began to unfold between the fall of the Northern Dynasties and the rise of the glorious... -
Late Fees by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s Thanksgiving, 1992 and Noah Valentine is late picking his mother up from the airport. When he arrives he discovers that she’s made a friend on the flight whose also waiting for her son. When women’s son doesn’t show up, they eventually take the woman home for breakfast with neighbor’s Marc and Louis... -
An Uncommon Grace: A Novel by Serena B. Miller
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA moving and inspirational novel about the power of faith, family and above all, love, as a young Amish man must turn to his Englisch neighbor for help after a devastating tragedy. Grace Connor, a military nurse formerly stationed in Afghanistan, hopes that moving to a farm in rural Ohio will help her recover from the ravages of war, and keep her teenage brother out of trouble... -
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 4 by Natsu Hyuuga
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThough her main duty is still looking after Consort Gyokuyou, Maomao finds time to help her friends and acquaintances in the rear palace, including Xiaolan, who will need a job after her term of service ends, and Consort Lishu, who’s convinced she’s seen a ghost! When complications arise with Gyokuyou’s pregnancy, however, Maomao knows she’s not skilled enough to handle a situation that could... -
The Jackal’s House by Anna Butler
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSequel to The Gilded ScarabSomething is stalking the Aegyptian night and endangering the archaeologists excavating the mysterious temple ruins in Abydos. But is it a vengeful ancient spirit or a very modern conspiracy…... -
Hidden Treasures by Marshall Thornton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s about a dress. A valuable blue sequined dress worn by a famed actress in a film from the 1940s. For some reason everyone thinks video storeowner Noah Valentine has it. Which might not be a big deal except that it’s connected to the murder of a prominent Hollywood costumer.In the second of the Pinx Video Mysteries, Noah attempts to solve the mystery of the dress... -
All Lessons Learned: A classic mystery romance by Charlie Cochrane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“A sparkling, intelligent series, not to be missed” – The Historical Novel Society The Great War is over. Freed from a prisoner of war camp and back at St. Bride’s College, Orlando Coppersmith is discovering what those years have cost.... All he holds dear—including his beloved Jonty Stewart, lost in combat... -
Scorned Justice by Margaret Daley
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTexas Ranger Brody Calhoun is with his parents in west Texas when an unexpected attack injures the brother of Rebecca Morgan, Brody's high school sweetheart. The local sheriff, a good friend, asks for Brody’s help. At first, it seems like an open-and-shut case. As Brody digs deeper, he realizes the attack may be related to an organized crime trial Rebecca will be overseeing... -
To Protect a Princess by Jess Michaels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA royal new series from 10-Time USA Today Bestselling Author Jess Michaels. All of Society is atwitter about the arrival of the Royal Family of Athawick, a small island country with important ties on a tour to celebrate the coronation of a new king. Or at least…that is the reason on the surface for their Season in London...Categorized as:
suspense historical-fiction lgbtq historical regency industrial-era bodyguard royalty -
The Anarchists' Club by Alex Reeve
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt's been a year since Leo Stanhope lost the woman he loved, and came closing to losing his own life. Now, more than ever, he is determined to keep his head down and stay safe, without risking those he holds dear... -
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The Dragon Lady by Louisa Treger
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings'A daring blend of romance, crime and history, and an intelligent exposé of the inherent injustice and consequences of all forms of oppression' Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions Opening with the shooting of Lady Virginia 'Ginie' Courtauld in her tranquil garden in 1950s Rhodesia, The Dragon Lady tells Ginie's extraordinary story, so called for the exotic tattoo snaking up her leg... -
Just a Little Seduction by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDavid Wirth has made it his life’s work to fight for the rights of those who cannot defend themselves and to navigate England’s choppy legal waters for fellow members of The Brotherhood. Tracking down the three villainous noblemen, including a powerful duke, who have masterminded a child kidnapping ring promises to be the pinnacle of his career seeking justice for the helpless... -
Dusk's Devotion by V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan love warm the hearts of two enemies facing the wrath of a Wyoming winter storm?Kyle Abbott is slowly discovering that being midway through his thirties and being married to your job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. There has to be more to life than random hookups, horses, and cattle... -
A Shimmer in the Night by Kelley York
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBenjamin Prichard has spent much of his life feeling like an outsider. Growing up, his odd behaviour and visions of ghosts left him isolated, not to mention being the child of an immigrant mother and an absent father. Benjamin walks the line between not being Chinese enough for one community, and not English enough for the other.Whisperwood School for Boys changes everything... -
A Rip in Time by Monique Martin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Crosses are back in book 7 of the Out of Time Series. An old enemy returns threatening to destroy not just Simon and Elizabeth, but the timeline itself. To keep that from happening, they must travel back to 1888 London to find Jack the Ripper…and save his life. If he dies, the timeline changes, and everything they know, their lives together, will be lost... -
The Burning Plain by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGay Mexican American lawyer Henry Rios has fought bigotry and prejudice, battled alcoholism, and watched his lover die from AIDS. In The Burning Plain, he's wrongly accused of murder after a male prostitute he spent an evening with is savagely murdered... -
Howtown by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWinner of six Lambda Literary awards, the Henry Rios mystery series is iconic and Michael Nava has been hailed by the New York Times as "one of our best" crime writers. Upon its original publication, the Los Angeles Times said of Howtown and its author: "Nava's mysteries are faithful to the conventions of the genre, but they are set apart by their insight, compassion, and sense of social justice. -
The Hidden Law by Michael Nava
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWinner of six Lambda Literary awards, the Henry Rios mystery series is iconic. In The Hidden Law, Rios delves deeply into his Latino identity as he defends a young man charged with assassinating a prominent Los Angeles Latino politician... -
Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe ghosts of the past will shape your future. Unless you fight them. Cambridge Fellows Mysteries, Book 4 Cambridge, 1907 After settling in their new home, Cambridge dons Orlando Coppersmith and Jonty Stewart are looking forward to nothing more exciting than teaching their students and playing rugby... -
An Appearance of Goodness: A Pride and Prejudice Mystery Variation by Heather Moll
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan a Derbyshire meeting lead to love or will Pemberley be plunged into mystery?In the rainy summer of 1812, Mr Darcy returns to Pemberley with a large party with the hope that coming home will help him recover from his disappointment. He lost Elizabeth Bennet’s good opinion, but Darcy did all he could to rectify his errors...Categorized as:
historical-fiction suspense romance mystery fiction industrial-era regency historical -
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How Goes The World? by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Positively Final Appearance: a two-part epilogue with Daniel and Archie at a house party and Kim and Will in a gentleman's club, because those are definitely settings that go well for them... -
Unseen by Jordan L. Hawk
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLibrarian Sebastian Rath and his lover Vesper Rune are tasked with seeking and containing the evil Books of the Bound. But one of the Books has been freed from its prison—and is in the hands of a killer.As more bodies turn up, Sebastian finds himself tempted to use forbidden magic to locate the Book and stop the murderer... -
Deadly Caress by Brenda Joyce
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBrenda Joyce's New York Times best-selling novels have thrilled millions of readers. Now, in her latest Francesca Cahill novel, return to the lush mansions and teeming streets of New York City's Gilded Age, where intrigue and seduction lie on every corner... The year is 1902. The place is New York City... -
To Trust Man On His Oath by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA Will Darling Adventures interlude.Set a week after the ending of The Sugared Game (so containsmild spoilers for that book)... -
Song for a Viking by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 11 ratings‘Song for a Viking’ takes place during/just after the events of the last chapter of Think of England and will be of no use at all to anyone who hasn’t read that book. It is not a standalone. You will definitely get the most out of it if you remind yourself of Think of England’s last chapter before reading... -
Death in the Spires by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe newspapers called us the Seven Wonders. We were a group of friends, that’s all, and then Toby died. Was killed. Murdered. 1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life... -
Masters in This Hall by K.J. Charles
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsJohn Garland was in love: now he's in disgrace. He's jobless, alone, and determined to avenge himself on the thief who ruined his life. All he wants for Christmas is to see Barnaby Littimer in gaol.Barnaby has secured a job running the extravagant traditional Christmas at a rich man's country house. John intends to thwart whatever he's up to... -
My Dearest Holmes by Rohase Piercy
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"The accounts of these cases are too bound up with events in my personal life which, although they may provide a plausible commentary to much of my dealings with Mr Sherlock Holmes, can never be public while he or I remain alive... -
Peerless: Wu Shuang (Novel) Vol. 3 by Meng Xi Shi
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA RACE AGAINST TIMEAfter the long journey to the Western Khaganate, Cui Buqu and Feng Xiao find their diplomatic efforts stymied when they are accused of murdering a Göktürk prince. Thinking on his feet, Cui Buqu requests a single day to crack the case and clear their names... -
One Night in Boukos by A.J. Demas
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn a night when the whole city is looking for love, two foreigners find it in the last place they expected.The famous Psobion festival is about to begin in the city of Boukos, and the ambassador from Zash has gone missing. Marzana, captain of the embassy guard, and Bedar, the ambassador’s long-suffering secretary, hunt for him through the streets and taverns and brothels of Boukos...Categorized as:
historical-fiction lgbtq mlm action-adventure adult alternate-history ancient-civilization book -
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Just a Little Temptation by Merry Farmer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAs the owner of an orphanage in a poor neighborhood of London, Stephen Siddel has the weight of the world, not to mention the care of tender souls, on his shoulders. He is a devoted father to dozens of children and an upstanding member of the community, in spite of his rivalry with the local nuns... -
The Road to Silver Plume by Tamara Allen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSecret Service operative Emlyn Strickland may be new to field work, but his talent for identifying counterfeit bank notes, honed over ten years at the Treasury, has given Sing Sing's population a respectable boost... -
A Taste for Poison by Aleksandr Voinov
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEven a king gets stung when he reaches for a scorpion.After barely surviving an assassination attempt, King Adrastes is a changed man—one who mistrusts even his allies and friends. He readies his Empire for war against an enigmatic enemy, the Elder of Vededrin, but not everyone approves... -
Bound by Memories by Kaje Harper
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsChristmastime brings out memories, and ghosts.Silas tracks down a poltergeist haunting a local tree farm. Darien hopes to convince Silas that despite experiences with demons and hells, Christmas can still be fun. Pip tries to catch his first rat. And Grim watches from a high vantage point and a position of moral superiority—he has holiday memories of his own, but cats know how to keep a secret... -
A Token of Time by Ethan Day
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the run from his family, Zachary Hamilton was cursed with a gift he neither wanted nor asked for. The recent murder of his lover unleashed a chain of events revealing Zachary's connection to the recently deceased legendary matinee idol, Marc Castle... -
A Country of Old Men by Joseph Hansen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHansen offers the final novel of his epic mystery series--an intricately-plotted story of action, irony, and twists. Dave Brandstetter comes to the aid of an old friend and ends up investigating a case that involves child abuse, drugs, AIDS, and victimization of the elderly...
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