Books like 'Payback Time'
Readers who enjoyed Payback Time by Carl Deuker also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mystery sports realistic high-school journalism crime children male-mc suspense
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Keeper of Secrets by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe final book in the Carly Moore series.Carly had every intention of heading to Dallas to bring down her father, but not as Wyatt Drummond’s hostage. After Wyatt kidnaps her at gunpoint and threatens to turn her over to her father--the man she’s spent the past nine months hiding from--she explains that his plan will get them both killed... -
![The General by Robert Muchamore]()
The General by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn the tenth title in the number one bestselling CHERUB series, James and Lauren are off to America to help train the army--and to get into trouble in Las Vegas... -
![The Dealer by Robert Muchamore]()
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 high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Mad Dogs by Robert Muchamore]()
Mad Dogs by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsCHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented—and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons... -
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![A Cold Dark Promise by Toni Anderson]()
A Cold Dark Promise by Toni Anderson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA COLD DARK PROMISE takes place during the week leading up to the wedding of former assassin Alex Parker to FBI Agent Mallory Rooney, who meet and fall in love in the novel, A COLD DARK PLACE. In the midst of wedding preparations, a shadowy figure from Alex Parker's past reappears and threatens the joy he’s found with Mallory Rooney... -
![Nancy Drew: #1-64 by Carolyn Keene]()
Nancy Drew: #1-64 by Carolyn Keene
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsNancy Drew has been solving mysteries, and delighting fans, for over 75 years...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic suspense 20th-century action-adventure book -
![Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz]()
Never Say Die by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAlex Rider is back in this brand new, explosive mission in the number one bestselling series. In this brand new, explosive adventure in the number one bestselling series, Alex Rider is trying to get his life back on track after the traumatic events of his last mission. But even Alex can't fight the past . . . especially when it holds a deadly secret...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense 21st-century action-adventure -
![Good Vibes Only by Gregory Ashe]()
Good Vibes Only by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJust vibing. Good Vibes Only is a collection of short stories from Iron on Iron. It includes the “All the Feels” Jem and Tean get settled in their temporary new home. This story is set after The Face in the Water . “Add Me Back” Theo and Auggie (especially Auggie) spend time with their new friends. This story is set before The Girl in the Wind . “Adulting is Hard” North and Shaw are.. -
![The Fall by Robert Muchamore]()
The Fall by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen an MI5 mission goes disastrously wrong, James Adams needs all of his skills to get out of Russia alive.Meanwhile, his sister Lauren is on her first solo mission trying to uncover a brutal human trafficking operation.And when James does get home, he finds that his nightmare is just beginning...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Brigands M.C. by Robert Muchamore]()
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... -
![Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore]()
Maximum Security by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsCHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
![Catherine Coulter the FBI Thrillers Collection Books 1-5 by Catherine Coulter]()
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 suspense action-adventure adult anthologies contemporary fiction -
![Depraved by Debra Webb]()
Depraved by Debra Webb
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDepraved is the tenth book in the bestselling, critically acclaimed Faces of Evil series. The finale is coming! Are you ready? Have you ordered Heinous, book 9? Don't miss a single book in this terrifyingly fast paced series! The serial killer obsessed with Deputy Chief Jess Harris has finally been cornered but the body count is still rising... -
![A Deeper Fear by Allison Brennan]()
A Deeper Fear by Allison Brennan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFBI Agent Lucy Kincaid’s husband, Sean Rogan, is in a dark place after being held captive. He won’t talk about it with anyone, not even Lucy. She’s hoping a conference in Sacramento, which includes family and the unveiling of a highly sought after drone Sean’s been working on, will help him heal... -
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![Divine Madness by Robert Muchamore]()
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 high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![The Sleepwalker by Robert Muchamore]()
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 high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman]()
The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSleuthing duo Emily and James tackle their most challenging mystery yet set on the haunting Alcatraz Island in Book 3 of the New York Times bestselling Book Scavenger series!Legendary literary game-maker Garrison Griswold is back in action―this time with “Unlock the Rock...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
![Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
Sammy Keyes and the Wild Things by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThis is not the summer camping trip of Sammy's dreams. She imagined shady glades, meandering streams, a deer or two. What she gets are scrubby shrubs, blazing sun, rattlesnakes, ticks, and scorpions. Her fellow campers are desperate to catch a rare glimpse of an endangered condor. To Sammy, the trip is nothing more than the painful in pursuit of the unspeakably ugly...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
![Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz]()
Scorpia Rising by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsThis gripping final mission brings together Alex Rider’s old enemies to frame the teenage superspy in an unstoppable plot of revenge, from which he can never return. Pursued from Europe to North Africa and Cairo’s city of the dead – this is the twistiest and most deadly plot of any Alex Rider mission yet, and will reveal Smithers’ ultimate gadget and see the shock death of a major character...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Vrije val by Robert Muchamore]()
Vrije val by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLeon is a small time crook who's ridden his luck for three decades. When he starts splashing big money around, the cops are desperate to know where it came from.James' latest mission looks routine: make friends with Leon's kids, infiltrate his home and dig up some leads.But the plot James begins to unravel isn't what anyone expected...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure audiobook -
![Man vs. Beast by Robert Muchamore]()
Man vs. Beast by Robert Muchamore
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsCHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Jude by Kate Morgenroth]()
Jude by Kate Morgenroth
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen fifteen-year-old Jude's father is brutally murdered, Jude is a witness. But to save his own life, he can't tell the police what he knows. Still, Jude is determined to clear his name and win the approval of his mother -- the district attorney he has not seen since he was an infant. At the urging of his mother's longtime companion, Jude agrees to a crazy scheme to protect her political future... -
![Waiting by Calle J. Brookes]()
Waiting by Calle J. Brookes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEveryone made mistakes, but some were far more dangerous than others… Fin McLaughlin wanted nothing more than to make a difference in his work with the FBI. Headhunted by the deputy director of the Bureau to head up a new division located in St. Louis, Fin was determined to make amends for the mistakes he’d made six years earlier that had almost cost him his career—and his life... -
![Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen, Tara Sands]()
Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash by Wendelin Van Draanen, Tara Sands
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratings"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book ReviewSammy Keyes has three wads of cold hard cash in her hot little hands. An old guy gave them to her. Well, actually, he told her to throw them away. Begged her. With his last dying breath. Which he was taking because Sammy had just scared the life right out of him. So . . -
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![Public Enemies by Gordon Korman]()
Public Enemies by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWANTED...Aiden and Meg Falconer have been crossing the country as fugitives in order to prove their parents didn't commit a crime. In a world where criminals are celebrities and news coverage is 24-7, the Falconers are finding it very hard to hide from their unwanted fame. They've been chased from state to state by the FBI... and by a killer they know only as Hairless Joe...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure book children-books -
![Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratings"The most winning junior detective ever in teen lit. (Take that, Nancy Drew!)" —Midwest Children's Book Review It's Sammy's birthday, which should be a good thing, except that Dorito, Sammy's cat, is missing, and while Sammy's searching for him, she finds three dead cats in dumpsters around town...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic action-adventure audiobook book children-books -
![Sammy Keyes And the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Draanen]()
Sammy Keyes And the Dead Giveaway by Wendelin Van Draanen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFor use in schools and libraries only. While investigating why someone is trying to force people from their homes to build a recreation center, Sammy is distracted by the lies she must tell to cover an accident she caused, but which was blamed on her nemesis, Heather... -
![Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman]()
Ghost in the Machine by Patrick Carman
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe chilling second book in the innovative series from bestselling author Patrick Carman. Strange things are happening in Skeleton Creek...and Ryan and Sarah are trying to find out why. Ryan writes down everything in his journal, and Sarah records everything on her videocam...Categorized as:
children high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure book -
![Dead Ringer by Mary Burton]()
Dead Ringer by Mary Burton
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsSOME NIGHTMARES . . . Beside each body, he leaves a simple charm bearing a woman’s name. Ruth . Judith . Rachel. The victims were strangers to each other, but they have been chosen with the utmost care. Each bears a striking resemblance to Kendall Shaw, a local anchorwoman…each brutally strangled by a madman whose obsession will never end... DON’T FADE . . -
![Scorpia (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz]()
Scorpia (Alex Rider) by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 49 ratingsScholastic Inc. Trade Paperback, 2006, with 312 pages. - Alex Rider, teen spy, has always been told he is the spitting image of the father he never knew. But when he learns that his father may have been an assassin for the most lethal and powerful organization in the world, Scorpia, Alex's world shatters. Now Scorpia wants him on their side. Alex learns their newest plot...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Dare You by Jennifer Brown]()
Dare You by Jennifer Brown
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second book of the suspenseful Shade Me trilogy, Nikki Kill becomes embroiled in another mystery where only her synesthesia can help her unravel the dark truth.Nikki Kill didn’t realize that trying to find out who killed Peyton Hollis would tangle her in a web of dangerous family secrets that would rock her identity to the core... -
![Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch]()
Don't Say a Word by Amber Lynn Natusch
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsKylene Danners’s ex-FBI agent father is in prison for murder and she’s hell-bent on getting him out. But trying to investigate in the small town where a defensive lineman is a hero no matter who he tries to kill and the girl who gets him locked up is public enemy number one is dangerous. Dark secrets are everywhere in Jasperville—the kind Ky can’t walk away from... -
![Partners in Crime by Kim Harrington]()
Partners in Crime by Kim Harrington
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhodunit?When best friends Darcy and Norah have to create a fake business for a school assignment, they come up with a great idea: a detective agency! Darcy loves mysteries, and Norah likes helping people, so it's a perfect fit.But then their pretend agency gets a real case. Someone is missing, and it's up to Darcy and Norah to take on the search... -
![Deathtrap by Dana Marton]()
Deathtrap by Dana Marton
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSophie Curtis is a heart-transplant recipient with some spooky body memories. She's been in her own antiseptic bubble for so long, she just might not be able to venture out into the real world again. Whatever shred of optimism Ethan Bing had left after becoming Broslin Chief of Police had been seared out of him by the unsolved murder of his wife two years ago... -
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![His Other Lie by Ava Strong]()
His Other Lie by Ava Strong
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsStella Fall, still reeling from the trauma of her deceitful fiancé and her failed engagement, has decided to pursue her dreams, follow in her father’s footsteps, and throw herself into law enforcement. Upon graduating from the FBI’s academy, she isf placed in the FBI’s Connecticut field office... -
![The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs]()
The Disappearance of Sloane Sullivan by Gia Cribbs
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNo one wants me to tell you about the disappearance of Sloane Sullivan.Not the lawyers or the cops. Not her friends or family. Not even the boy who loved her more than anyone. And most certainly not the United States Marshals Service... -
![Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz]()
Crocodile Tears by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsNew Year's Eve in Scotland and for once Alex Rider is enjoying a normal life. But then he meets Desmond McCain, the dynamic chief of an international charity, First Aid, and what starts as a simple card game rapidly becomes a duel to the death. Suddenly Alex is in more danger than ever before and his life is threatened without his even knowing why...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![Sweet Deceit by Kate Brian]()
Sweet Deceit by Kate Brian
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAfter Brigit’s mysterious death at the NoBash, Ariana will stop at nothing to make sure Kaitlynn gets what she deserves. With all the spots now open, getting into the Stone and Grave should be a breeze—but Ariana is not willing to share her new life with her worst enemy...Categorized as:
high-school law-enforcement realistic suspense boarding-school book contemporary female-mc -
![Juste une ombre by Karine Giébel]()
Juste une ombre by Karine Giébel
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCloé Beauchamp est une jeune femme à qui tout semble réussir; belle, brillante, sur le point d'être nommée à la tête d'une prestigieuse agence de publicité... Et amoureuse, depuis peu, d'un homme charmant. Elle cache à la perfection ses failles et les horreurs qui ont jalonné son passé. Mais lentement, sa vie va se transformer en cauchemar... -
![Framed by Gordon Korman, Jonathan Todd Ross]()
Framed by Gordon Korman, Jonathan Todd Ross
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe sequel to Gordon Korman's ZOOBREAK - Griffin Bing, the Man with a Plan, has been framed!Griffin Bing's new principal doesn't like him. And Griffin doesn't like the boot camp football atmosphere the new principal has brought. Griffin manages to stay out of trouble -- until a Super Bowl ring disappears from the school's display case, with Griffin's retainer left in its place...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement realistic sports suspense action-adventure -
![Found by Harlan Coben]()
Found by Harlan Coben
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsMurder. Mystery. High School.A new Mickey Bolitar novel following on from Shelter and Seconds Away.It’s been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the tragic death of his father.Eight months of lies, dark secrets and unanswered questions.As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mickey’s sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles... -
![Ali's Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard]()
Ali's Pretty Little Lies by Sara Shepard
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsPerfect for fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling series and the hit ABC Family TV show, this Pretty Little Liars prequel novel reveals Ali's secrets from before she was murdered.Rewind a few years to seventh grade: Alison DiLaurentis and her friends are the It girls of Rosewood Day. Boys want to date them. Girls want to be them... -
![Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz]()
Snakehead by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 46 ratingsSplashing down off the coast of Australia, Alex is soon working undercover – this time for ASIS, the Australian Secret Service – on a mission to infiltrate the criminal underworld of South-East Asia: the ruthless world of the Snakehead... -
![نقطة شاحبة by Anthony Horowitz]()
نقطة شاحبة by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 53 ratingsAlex Rider, teenage superspy, is back.Fourteen-year-old Alex is back at school trying to adapt to his new double life... and double homework. But MI6 have other plans for him.Armed with a false ID and a new collection of brilliantly disguised gadgets, Alex must infiltrate the mysterious Point Blanc Academy and establish the truth about what is really happening there... -
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![Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz]()
Eagle Strike by Anthony Horowitz
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 45 ratingsROGUE AGENT!Sir Damian Cray: Millions adore him. He is a philanthropist, peace activist, and the world's most famous vintage pop star. But still it's not enough - not if he is to save the world. Trouble is, only Alex Rider recognizes that it's the world that needs saving from Sir Damian Cray...Categorized as:
children crime high-school law-enforcement male-mc realistic suspense action-adventure -
![The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman]()
The Fugitive Factor by Gordon Korman
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNOWHERE TO HIDE.Aiden and Meg Falconer are out to find the evidence that will free their parents from a life sentence in prison. But in order to do that, they have to live undercover. Ever since they broke out of a juvenile detention facility, they've been chased by the FBI... and by a strange killer they've nicknamed Hairless Joe...Categorized as:
children crime law-enforcement realistic suspense action-adventure book children-books -
![Cover Your Tracks by Claire Askew]()
Cover Your Tracks by Claire Askew
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRobertson Bennet returns to Edinburgh after a 25-year absence in search of his parents and his inheritance. But both have disappeared. A quick, routine police check should be enough - and Detective Inspector Helen Birch has enough on her plate trying to help her brother, Charlie, after an assault in prison. But all her instincts tell her not to let this case go. And so she digs... -
![Wings of Fear by Helene Young]()
Wings of Fear by Helene Young
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsContemporary Suspense Novel set in Northern Australia. Above the crystal-blue waters of North Queensland, Captain Morgan Pentland patrols the vast Australian coastline. When Customs Agent Rafe Daniels joins her crew, she is immediately suspicious... -
![The Wedding by Debra Webb]()
The Wedding by Debra Webb
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDon't miss the wedding of the year! The major crimes team in Birmingham, Alabama, has encountered so many faces of evil this year...it's time for a celebration. Someone is getting married! Will it be the long awaited nuptials of Jess and Dan or the passionate vows of Lori and Chet? Or maybe Sylvia has finally found the one. Take this beautiful journey with the cast of the Faces of Evil... -
![Blake by Karice Bolton]()
Blake by Karice Bolton
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBlake Volkov is not my type. He's a professional athlete, charming, cocky, and his family is part of a notorious criminal underground in Manhattan. I know this because my father's a cop, and I'm a psychiatrist working with the criminally insane. But all it takes is one defining moment to understand who the real Blake Volkov is...
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