Books like 'Past Tense'
Readers who enjoyed Past Tense by Lee Child also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery action / adventure thriller crime suspense children military law-enforcement drama
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State of Bliss by Marie Force
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen you have their jobs, there’s no such thing as a peaceful vacation…Sam and Nick are ready to get out of DC—and the White House—for a much-needed vacation to celebrate their second anniversary. Due to ongoing political pressures, they decide to scuttle their plans for a return to Bora Bora to stay closer to home at their favorite oceanfront house at Dewey Beach in Delaware... -
Dark Sky by C.J. Box
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsWyoming game warden Joe Pickett must accompany a Silicon Valley CEO on a hunting trip--but soon learns that he himself may be the hunted--in the thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime family law-enforcement political-intrigue survival suspense thriller -
Fatal Threat: A Novel of Romantic Suspense (The Fatal Series) by Marie Force
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsWith a killer on the loose, it's the worst time to be on lockdown… It's just another day at the office for Washington Metro Police lieutenant Sam Holland when a body surfaces off the shores of the Anacostia River. But before Sam can sink her teeth into the new case, Secret Service agents seize her from the crime scene... -
Wrath by T.R. Ragan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe follow-up to the Wall Street Journal bestseller Outrage.Those who hunt monsters must be careful not to become monsters themselves.In another life, before human traffickers murdered her husband and stole her children, Faith McMann was a wife, mother, and teacher. Now she has become Furious, a merciless avenger on a deadly mission to retrieve her young son and daughter, no matter the cost... -
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Hellbent by Gregg Hurwitz
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsTo some he was Orphan X. Others knew him as the Nowhere Man. But to Jack Johns he was a boy named Evan Smoak. Taken from an orphanage, Evan was raised inside a top-secret government programme and trained to become a lethal weapon. By Jack. And yet for all the dangerous skill he instilled in his young charge, Jack Jones cared for Evan like a son... -
Outrage by T.R. Ragan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA Wall Street Journal bestseller. The happy life Faith McMann knew as a wife, mother, and teacher was destroyed when vicious criminals murdered her husband, kidnapped her children, and left her for dead. After paralyzing grief, fear, and despair, there was nothing left for her to feel…except fury... -
Justice Redeemed by Scott Pratt
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsTwo years ago, Darren Street made a name for himself as the man who rooted out corruption in the district attorney’s office. Now the hotheaded young lawyer is in the public eye yet again—this time, accused of murder.Jalen Jordan retained Street for what seemed to be a minor traffic violation, but when evidence turned up linking Jordan to the death of two boys, Street wanted out of the case...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime drama political-intrigue suspense thriller action-adventure adult -
A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s riveting series, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite returns home to a brutal murder and her haunted past. The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime drama family female-mc law-enforcement political-intrigue suspense -
The Professor by Robert Bailey, Eric G. Dove
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsLaw professor Thomas Jackson McMurtrie literally wrote the book on evidence in the state of Alabama. But when a power-hungry colleague uses a recent run-in between McMurtrie and headstrong student Rick Drake to end his career, he is left unsure what to do next.Meanwhile, a devastating trucking accident in Henshaw, Alabama, leaves a young family dead...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime political-intrigue suspense thriller action-adventure adult audiobook -
Even Odds by Fiona Quinn
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDouble crossedDouble agentsDoubling down……She’s putting her heart and her life on the line.Raine Meyers is only alive today because of the heroic efforts of the Delta Force Echo Team. It’s time to pay that debt.As an undercover defense intelligence officer, Raine tracks a Russian threat to the Delta Force wives left vulnerable while their husbands are downrange protecting the U.S...Categorized as:
suspense military law-enforcement female-mc crime political-intrigue romance contemporary -
Force of Nature by C.J. Box
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsUpdated cover of this Kindle edition. Joe Pickett’s friend’s past comes back to haunt everyone he cares about in this “violent, bloody, and quite satisfying thriller”* from #1 New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box. In 1995, Nate Romanowski was in a Special Forces unit abroad when his commander, John Nemecek, did something terrible...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime family law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense thriller -
The Dealer by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsDrugs, cars and guns!Keith Moore is Europe's biggest cocaine dealer. The police have been trying to get enough evidence to nail him for more than twenty years.Now, four CHERUB agents are joining the hunt...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement male-mc political-intrigue survival suspense thriller -
Close to Home by Robert Dugoni
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni’s acclaimed series continues as Tracy Crosswhite is thrown headlong into the path of a killer conspiracy.While investigating the hit-and-run death of a young boy, Seattle homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite makes a startling discovery: the suspect is an active-duty serviceman at a local naval base... -
Cade by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCade Terence, a former SEAL, has spent the last two years physically recovering when his unit's truck drove over an antitank landmine. Six other team-mates were also badly hurt, the seventh dead, in what their team leader Badger Horley realized later had to be a trap set to take them out. The father of Laszlo, a member of his unit, was in a hit-and-run... -
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Cowboy in the Crosshairs by Em Petrova
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey’re total opposites. That doesn’t mean he won’t lay down his life for her.Silas Shanie is ready for action. Now that his medical leave is over, he’s more than capable of being back on the WEST Protection team. His first assignment? Easy. His new ward? Not at all. But he’ll keep the gorgeous, shallow heiress safe because it’s his job. He doesn’t have to like her. Except…he does. Maybe too much... -
Liam's Lily by Dale Mayer
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhen former Navy SEAL Liam O'Brian joins Legendary Securities, he looks forward to being shipped somewhere exciting for his first mission with Levi and his crew. Instead, he learns exotic and enormous aren't exactly synonymous when he stumbles upon the oversized pachyderms inhabiting his new backyard... -
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... -
Lone Wolf by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFay has spent eighteen months locked up in a Secure Training Centre. Drug deals and rip-offs are the only things this teenager knows. Now she's back on the street, looking to settle old scores.CHERUB agents Ryan and Ning need Fay's knowledge to unearth a major drug importer...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement political-intrigue thriller action-adventure book children-books -
Fear the Reaper by Fiona Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEverything was going according to plan…until it fell apart in the most spectacular way… Ex-SEAL Ryan “Reaper” Hamilton is well on his way to having it all. His marriage to Kate is finally on solid ground, and his goal of being a K9 trainer with Iniquus’s Cerberus team is within reach...Categorized as:
suspense female-mc law-enforcement military crime political-intrigue romance contemporary -
The Alchemy Fire Murder by Susan Rowland
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFormer Archivist Mary Wandwalker hates bringing bad news. Nevertheless, she confirms to her alma mater that their prized medieval alchemy scroll, is, in fact, a seventeenth century copy. She learns that the original vanished to colonial Connecticut with alchemist, Robert Le More. Later the genuine scroll surfaces in Los Angeles... -
Vigilante Assassin by Mark Nolan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEvery marriage has a secret, but this one is deadly. Lauren Stephens wakes up to find her husband, Gene, has vanished during the night. His phone is dead. Desperate, she hires Jake Wolfe and his war dog, Cody. They search the house and discover something so disturbing that Jake won't allow Lauren near it. "No, if you see this, there is no unseeing it...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime justice law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense vigilante -
Free Fire by C.J. Box
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsA Joe Pickett novel from #1"New York Times-"bestselling author C.J. Box. Joe Pickett s been hired to investigate one of the most cold-blooded mass killings in Wyoming history. Attorney Clay McCann admitted to slaughtering four campers in a back-country corner of Yellowstone National Park a free-fire zone with no residents or jurisdiction...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime family law-enforcement political-intrigue suspense thriller action-adventure -
Stone Sober by Gwyn McNamee
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsStone Hawke is precisely the kind of man women are warned about—handsome, intelligent, arrogant, and intricately entangled with some dangerous people. I should stay away, but he manages to strip my soul bare with just a look and dominates my thoughts. Bad decisions are in my past. My life is (mostly) on track, even if it is no longer the one to medical school... -
Brigands M.C. by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsA new member of CHERUB gets the chance to avenge the death of his family in the eleventh book of the CHERUB series, which Rick Riordan says has “plenty of action.”CHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented—and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement male-mc political-intrigue suspense thriller action-adventure -
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Perilous Trust by Barbara Freethy
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIn PERILOUS TRUST, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy brings you the first book in a new romantic suspense series! OFF THE GRID: An FBI Trilogy offers three breath-stealing books filled with action-packed plot, heart-stopping romance, and page-turning suspense. It was one dark night that brought Damon Wolfe and Sophie Parker together...Categorized as:
crime drama female-mc law-enforcement political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult -
Wired In by Toby Neal
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsParadise has no protection from a hacker with a hidden agenda.Do you love a woman sleuth with a dark past, a great dog, and a complicated romantic life?Meet tech agent Sophie Ang.Sophie’s emotions are battered by a child kidnapping case, and in tracking the criminal ring, her rogue data analysis program D.A.V.I.D... -
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsNarrated by Dick Hill.The ultimate loner. An elite ex-military cop who left the service years ago, he's moved from place to place ... without family ... without possessions ... without commitments. And without fear. Which is good, because trouble—big, violent, complicated trouble—finds Reacher wherever he goes. And when trouble finds him, Reacher does not quit, not once, not ever...Categorized as:
children conspiracies crime drama law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense -
Divine Justice by David Baldacci
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsWhat's the central theme in "Divine Justice?"Oliver Stone is the most wanted man in America.No, not the maverick filmmaker Oliver Stone but the covert agent whose real name is John Carr. Men in the highest circles of power want him dead, and quickly, because he knows too many of their deepest secrets...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime drama law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense thriller -
Seven Days by Alex Lake
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe twisty new psychological thriller from the USA Today bestselling author Maggie Taylor’s son is a week away from his third birthday, and she is terrified. Because in her world, third birthdays are the day on which the worst possible thing happens…She loses her child.For the last decade, Maggie has been imprisoned in a basement. Kidnapped aged sixteen, she has not seen a sunrise for ten years...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime drama family female-mc justice law-enforcement political-intrigue -
Dangerous Lady by Martina Cole
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMartina's explosive first novel of corruption and... -
Catherine Coulter the FBI Thrillers Collection Books 1-5 by Catherine Coulter
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe #1 New York Times bestselling FBI thrillers are “excellent beach reads”*—stock up today on these five suspense novels featuring Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock. From the debut of the series, The Cove, through the “fast-paced twists and turns” of Riptide (San Francisco Examiner), you’ll be swept away...Categorized as:
crime law-enforcement military suspense action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary -
Xtreme Affairs by Em Petrova
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA scarred special operative meets his match with the woman determined to save him from himself.It was just a little accident—but it changed his life.Special Xtreme Ops team, River Hepburn wakes in the hospital to the sight of Sacha—his best friend’s little sister—watching over him. Their emotional bond over her brother’s death is undeniable, but he isn’t prepared to feel more... -
Ransom: Gray Wolf Corp Texas by Crystal Daniels, Sandy Alvarez
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFormer military man Ransom Rockwell joined forces with his two best friends, becoming bounty hunters, and forming Gray Wolf Corp.Ransom is dedicated to hunting down the lawless and bringing them to justice.You run, he will find you.When Ransom isn't chasing a bounty, he's busy being a single father.He doesn't have time for distractions.All that changes when Genesis McKenna moves to town... -
The Hard Way by Lee Child
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsJack Reacher is alone, the way he likes it.He watches a man cross a New York street and drive away in a Mercedes. The car contains $1 million of ransom money. Reacher's job is to make sure it all turns out right - money paid, family safely returned. But Reacher is in the middle of a nasty little war where nothing is simple...Categorized as:
children conspiracies crime drama law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense -
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Without Fail by Lee Child, Dick Hill
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 42 ratingsSkilled, cautious, and anonymous, Jack Reacher is perfect for the job: to assassinate the vice president of the United States. Theoretically, of course. A female Secret Service agent wants Reacher to find the holes in her system, and fast - because a covert group already has the vice president in their sights. They've planned well. There's just one thing they didn't plan on: Reacher...Categorized as:
children conspiracies crime drama justice law-enforcement military political-intrigue -
Off the Grid by C.J. Box
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNew York Times–bestselling author C. J. Box returns with a suspenseful new Joe Pickett novel. Nate Romanowski is off the grid, recuperating from wounds and trying to deal with past crimes, when he is suddenly surrounded by a small team of elite professional special operators. They’re not there to threaten him, but to make a deal...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime family law-enforcement political-intrigue survival suspense thriller -
Black List by Brad Thor
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsAn explosive thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor: Scot Harvath must survive a stunning masterwork of action, intrigue, and ingenious plot twists.Somewhere deep inside the United States government is a closely guarded list. Members of Congress never get to see it—only the President and a secret team of advisers... -
Daylight by David Baldacci
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFBI Agent Atlee Pine's search for her sister Mercy clashes with military investigator John Puller's high-stakes case, leading them both deep into a global conspiracy -- from which neither of them will escape unscathed.For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again... -
Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen religion goes bad...When CHERUB uncovers a link between eco-terrorist group Help Earth and a wealthy religious cult known as The Survivors, James Adams is sent to Australia on an infiltration mission.It's his toughest job so far. The Survivors' outback headquarters are completely isolated and the cult's brainwashing techniques put James under massive pressure to confirm...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement male-mc military political-intrigue survival suspense -
The Sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn the ninth breathtaking title in the bestselling CHERUB series, James is getting into trouble on campus, while Lauren has an air crash to investigate...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement male-mc political-intrigue suspense thriller action-adventure -
Betrayal in Blue by Mark M. Bello
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCUT OFF THE HEAD OF A SNAKE AND ANOTHER GROWS IN ITS PLACE . . . Zack and Jack are Back! White Supremacy again rears its ugly head in Dearborn . . . Trial lawyer Zachary Blake tackled The Church and clergy sexual abuse in Betrayal of Faith and white supremacy and a bigoted POTUS in Betrayal of Justice... -
December by Gabrielle Lord
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOn New Year's Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days. Hurled into a life on the run the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret...Categorized as:
children conspiracies crime law-enforcement political-intrigue survival suspense action-adventure -
End Game by David Baldacci
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsWill Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive. They're the ones the government calls in when the utmost secrecy is required to take out those who plot violence and mass destruction against the United States. And through every mission, one man has always had their backs: their handler, code-named Blue Man.But now, Blue Man is missing...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime drama law-enforcement military political-intrigue survival suspense -
Stranded by Sarah Goodwin
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEight strangers.One island.A secret you'd kill to keep.When eight people arrive on the beautiful but remote Buidseach Island, they are ready for the challenge of a lifetime: to live alone for one year.Eighteen months later, a woman is found in an isolated fishing village... -
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Las Vegas Girl by Leslie Wolfe
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsDetectives Laura Baxter and Jack Holt are members of the elite: Las Vegas Metro PD, one of the toughest and most respected law enforcement agencies in the United States. In the middle of a city with two million residents and 43 million annual visitors, they’re hunting for a killer... -
Dead Tomorrow by Peter James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratings*Lynn gripped the sides of the armchair, trying to put aside her own inner terror. 'I can't believe I'm thinking this, Ross. I'm not a violent person, even before Caitlin's influence, I never even liked killing flies in my kitchen. Now I'm sitting here actually willing some stranger to die... -
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:
conspiracies crime justice political-intrigue suspense vigilante action-adventure adult -
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Bloodlands by Mark Dawson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe cold of Siberia meets the chill of betrayal.In a world where loyalty is fleeting and alliances are temporary, John Milton is on a mission that will bring him face-to-face with enemies old and new. When his friend, Alex Hicks, finds himself pursued by mysterious adversaries, the two men are thrust back into the web of international espionage... -
Witness Protection by Holly Copella
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter witnessing an execution, a resourceful young woman attempts to disappear while being pursued by a hitman and a handsome federal agent. A helicopter pilot, Jackie Remus, reluctantly agrees to go on a date with one of her clients, but her date is unexpectedly cut short when she witnesses a man being murdered. After narrowly escaping with her life, she is placed into protective custody...Categorized as:
crime drama female-mc law-enforcement military political-intrigue suspense action-adventure
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