Boys of Lake Cliff Series by K. Sterling

Detective Lane West doesn't do Complicated. Especially when it comes to his personal life.Dr. Aiden Sharp is Complicated. Complicated in ways that Lane can barely get his mind around when he's forced to babysit Aiden as a favor for the District Attorney.After that, things get very Complicated.

“Scream, you stupid American bear.”Night after terrifying night, Captain Denver Walsh returns to the compound in Dubai where Al Qaeda terrorists tortured him. Night after night, he relives the terror and pain and wakes up haunted by a ghost from his past. Numerous surgeries and years of physical and psychiatric therapy have failed to fix our brave soldier and hacker and he’s perilously close to breaking.“Alone is why you almost killed yourself and that’s what’s going to kill you... more“Scream, you stupid American bear.”Night after terrifying night, Captain Denver Walsh returns to the compound in Dubai where Al Qaeda terrorists tortured him. Night after night, he relives the terror and pain and wakes up haunted by a ghost from his past. Numerous surgeries and years of physical and psychiatric therapy have failed to fix our brave soldier and hacker and he’s perilously close to breaking.“Alone is why you almost killed yourself and that’s what’s going to kill you.”Denver might be an admirable yet occasionally stupid brand of stubborn but Dr. Ezra Gabriel is about to teach him a few lessons in patience and perseverance. Gifted, charming and just about as stubborn, the young doctor won’t let Denver give up, then finds he can’t let the brilliant, gentle, battle-scarred veteran go.An incident involving a monster of a trout causes two friends to slip and slide into a predicament neither saw coming. One of them loses their head and two hearts find the same steady beat as dreams change and merge with reality.This is a standalone love story but features characters from The Boys of Lake Cliff series. You do not need to have read the series to enjoy A Soul To Keep.Warning: A Soul To Keep explores extremely difficult topics such as suicide and PTSD and includes scenes involving violent acts of torture. less

Aiden and Lane have enjoyed five years of clothing optional bliss when a quiet evening at home is interrupted by an unexpected guest. An intruder and an attack have Aiden and Lane examining their relationship and their future and an arson investigation takes its toll on Aiden.

K. Sterling invites you to return to Lake Cliff and catch up with Aiden and Lane in this sequel to Hide And Keep that picks up where Safe And Sound ended.Aiden and Lane are seven years into their Happily Ever After when Aiden begins to question the strength of their marriage. Gavin Langley and his obsession with Aiden tests Lane in unexpected ways and puts their marriage under media and public scrutiny.

K. Sterling invites you to return to Lake Cliff and catch up with Aiden, Lane, Lavender and Sage in this sequel to In The Kill and the Hide And Keep trilogy. Can you domesticate an international assassin? Can a criminal be reformed and play well with others? Happily Ever After doesn't always happen right away or as easily as you might imagine. Lavender must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice for love and if he can make peace with his past... moreK. Sterling invites you to return to Lake Cliff and catch up with Aiden, Lane, Lavender and Sage in this sequel to In The Kill and the Hide And Keep trilogy. Can you domesticate an international assassin? Can a criminal be reformed and play well with others? Happily Ever After doesn't always happen right away or as easily as you might imagine. Lavender must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice for love and if he can make peace with his past. Despite his hopes, fate isn't ready to let Lane West settle into his own Happily Ever After peacefully. A new threat comes to Lake Cliff and he's forced to team up with his worst nightmare. “You didn’t bring a vest,” Lane said and Lavender snorted. “I don’t plan on getting shot,” he said absently as he stared at the diner and Lane rolled his eyes. “Or it wouldn’t compliment your ensemble,” he muttered and Lavender shrugged. “What’s the point really?” He asked. “I can’t wear it under my jacket. Even if it fit, I would ruin the clean lines and proportions. And it would be ridiculous to wear it over my jacket,” he added and Lane raised a brow. “Because it would look stupid?” He asked and Lavender gave him an impatient look. “No. They’d see it and aim for my head,” he said and Lane winced in agreement. “Good point,” he said. “You can hang back with the rifle if I have to go in,” he said and Lavender sighed wearily. “How about you wear your vest because it keeps you from getting cold or jumping at loud sounds and I’ll make sure I don’t get shot?" less

Aiden and Lane return with Lavender and Sage in another Boys Of Lake Cliff book. Life is not as it seems in Lake Cliff. A dark and savage evil is bearing down on Aiden and Lavender's secrets could destroy everything he's built with Sage... moreAiden and Lane return with Lavender and Sage in another Boys Of Lake Cliff book. Life is not as it seems in Lake Cliff. A dark and savage evil is bearing down on Aiden and Lavender's secrets could destroy everything he's built with Sage. Can the world's most impeccable and unstoppable assassin and a vulnerable savant work together to find a brutally sadistic and elusive killer before time runs out? Can Lane withstand the ultimate test if his faith is pushed to its limits? “I have to go to a crime scene tonight,” Aiden announced loudly then winced as Lane, Sage and Lavender turned and gave him identical expectant looks. Three left brows rose as if synchronized and he offered what he hoped was a relaxed smile. “I just got a text from the FBI and should get a location soon,” he added and Lane nodded as he reached for a towel. “We’ll eat until they send it and we can leave Sage to clean up,” he said and Aiden shook his head quickly. “Can he go with me?” He asked as he pointed at Lavender and Lane’s eyes widened before they slid to his right. Lavender blinked in confusion and Sage’s lips twisted. “Are you feeling alright?” Sage asked and Aiden nodded as he searched for an excuse then raised a shoulder as he continued his attempt at being nonchalant. “It’s not like he’s going to eat anything and I can take my food with me,” he said and Lavender shook his head. “You’re not eating in my car,” he replied and Aiden’s lips pulled tight as he gave Lavender a pleading look. “I can eat now but it would be…nice to let Lane finish his dinner. And he enjoys Sage’s company more than yours. And he’s been working really long hours, I don’t want to ruin his free time with work,” he babbled and Lane frowned. “It’s not going to ruin my free time. This case sounds like it’s getting pretty big, I might be able to help,” he said and Aiden silently begged Lavender. “I think I might enjoy tagging along, actually,” he said as he set his elbow on the counter and leaned elegantly. “I’ve never been on the proper side of an investigation and I’d love to see Aiden in action,” he stated and Aiden pointed. “Exactly! He can see me in action and visit a crime scene he didn’t create,” he said. “It will be a novel experience for both of us,” he insisted and Lane still looked disturbed but he nodded. “If that’s what you want and he doesn’t mind,” he said hesitantly as he picked up the platter and Aiden didn’t like the way his jaw twitched as he studied the salmon. “I think it would be better if Jeremy helped me this time,” Aiden said gently and Lane looked up and a tight smile stretched across his lips. “Great. I guess I don’t have to worry about staying out until early in the morning. Don’t expect me to wait up,” he teased and Aiden did his best to look relaxed and not immensely relieved. There was no way around it, Lavender was his last hope and probably the answer to his prayers. It would have been spiritually and morally discouraging, if Aiden believed in a higher power. Instead, he was unusually grateful for Lavender’s assistance. It was a startling turn of events, really. less

Welcome To Lake CliffK. Sterling invites you to Lake Cliff to meet her most beloved heroes in this anthology of her Lake Cliff books.Detective Lane West doesn't do complicated. Especially when it comes to his personal life. Dr. Aiden Sharp is complicated. Complicated in ways Lane can barely get his mind around when he's forced to babysit Aiden as a favor for the District Attorney. After that, things get very complicated.Sage Bradley wants to make the world a better place... moreWelcome To Lake CliffK. Sterling invites you to Lake Cliff to meet her most beloved heroes in this anthology of her Lake Cliff books.Detective Lane West doesn't do complicated. Especially when it comes to his personal life. Dr. Aiden Sharp is complicated. Complicated in ways Lane can barely get his mind around when he's forced to babysit Aiden as a favor for the District Attorney. After that, things get very complicated.Sage Bradley wants to make the world a better place. He's handsome, smart, wealthy, a talented artist and always follows his heart. Unfortunately, someone wants him dead. Fate brings a mysterious man to Sage's door and a romantic night turns into a tangled web of passion and danger.Can you domesticate an international assassin? Can a criminal be reformed and play well with others?Happily Ever After doesn't always happen right away or as easily as you might imagine. Lavender must decide how much he's willing to sacrifice for love and if he can make peace with his past.Despite his hopes, fate isn't ready to let Lane West settle into his own Happily Ever After peacefully. A new threat comes to Lake Cliff and he's forced to team up with his worst nightmare.K. Sterling's Lake Cliff series is gritty, intense, emotional and at times hysterical. Always sensual, Lake Cliff is K. Sterling at her darkest and dirtiest. If you're already a fan of Lane, Aiden, Sage and Lavender, she's gathered them all for you, so they're right at your fingertips. If you're new to Lake Cliff, you're going to love it here.This series begins with Aiden and Lane then switches briefly to Sage and Lavender before merging into the Lake Cliff books with all four characters. less

Aiden and Lane return with Lavender and Sage in another Boys Of Lake Cliff book. A baby can cause quite a stir in a town like Lake Cliff. Sometimes, in ways you wouldn't expect. Mr. Lavender reminds us that he'll only be predictable when it suits him and changing one's stripes can be tricky. Big changes are coming to Lake Cliff and a baby's just the beginning... moreAiden and Lane return with Lavender and Sage in another Boys Of Lake Cliff book. A baby can cause quite a stir in a town like Lake Cliff. Sometimes, in ways you wouldn't expect. Mr. Lavender reminds us that he'll only be predictable when it suits him and changing one's stripes can be tricky. Big changes are coming to Lake Cliff and a baby's just the beginning. “He fell asleep on the way over, so we kept this down so he wouldn’t wake up,” Kay whispered as she pushed the hood back and Lavender could feel Sage’s chest lock as they stood next to each other, his tightened as well as he held his breath and leaned so he could see into the stroller. Lavender’s nose began to tingle and burn as a head full of golden curls caused his heart to flutter. He was in awe of Robin’s cheeks, they were so full and looked so soft. And how could a nose be so tiny and perfect? He was dressed in a rather dapper navy and white striped knit jumper and Lavender’s head tilted as Robin waved his tiny fist and yawned. His eyes opened and they were the softest green and Lavender knew him. His eyes began to blur again and he sniffed hard to clear them then nodded as he stared down at Robin. “I think he’s more of an Aston Martin sort of fellow, don’t you?” He asked as he looked back at Sage. He was just as dazed as Lavender. “What?” He laughed. “I don’t think the Bentley would do,” Lavender decided and Sage shook his head slowly. The Breckmans looked completely baffled. “I really don’t think he cares,” Sage said and Lavender waved dismissively. “You wouldn’t understand,” he said as he smiled at Robin. He would, one day. Lavender knew because he could see it in his eyes. They were so much like Sage’s but there was a spark of something clever and quick. Lavender saw it and he felt it. And Lavender loved him. less

Welcome back to Lake Cliff, a quiet yet inexplicably dangerous suburb of Chicago. When we last visited our heroes, they were calmly and cozily settling into their happily ever afters. Unfortunately, Lavender and Aiden’s brisk yet peaceful morning run through the woods is interrupted by a loud explosion. They return to Holderson Manor to find that Sage has been abducted by a dangerous enemy from Lavender’s past.With Sage in the wind, it quickly becomes a race against the clock to bring him home... moreWelcome back to Lake Cliff, a quiet yet inexplicably dangerous suburb of Chicago. When we last visited our heroes, they were calmly and cozily settling into their happily ever afters. Unfortunately, Lavender and Aiden’s brisk yet peaceful morning run through the woods is interrupted by a loud explosion. They return to Holderson Manor to find that Sage has been abducted by a dangerous enemy from Lavender’s past.With Sage in the wind, it quickly becomes a race against the clock to bring him home. Lavender has assembled a team of friends and allies when Captain Denver Walsh arrives with the missing piece of the puzzle. A tortured and traumatized vet, Denver offers a grim solution only to find himself drawn into the mission and a new family as a British lord, an FBI agent, a Russian hacker, a few cops and a forensic psychologist join forces to hunt a killer and find Sage before it’s too late.Sometimes, the monsters in our heads are just as dangerous as the ones waiting under our beds and hidden deep in the forest. Our team quickly learns that Denver needs their help almost as urgently as Sage. Aiden looks to a new friend for backup when he realizes he’s in way over his head. Meanwhile, Sage has to make peace with the monster in his head and the one that’s been sleeping in his bed as he struggles to survive. Sage is in for a brutally intense fight but he’s determined to outwit and outlast the horror hunting him and find his way home to his son and the man he loves.*In The Wind is the seventh book in The Boys of Lake Cliff series and is not intended as a standalone story. less

“There’s lots of lost souls up there. That ground’s been cursed by massacres and hangings and those sad souls will take anyone who gets lost in their woods. They use the blue light to lure them, like moths to a flame, and we find their bodies hanging in the morning.”Covington, Rhode Island: Quaint. Colonial. Haunted? It’s a perfect postcard of a town and a tourist’s delight but its charming residents live with a terrible curse... more“There’s lots of lost souls up there. That ground’s been cursed by massacres and hangings and those sad souls will take anyone who gets lost in their woods. They use the blue light to lure them, like moths to a flame, and we find their bodies hanging in the morning.”Covington, Rhode Island: Quaint. Colonial. Haunted? It’s a perfect postcard of a town and a tourist’s delight but its charming residents live with a terrible curse. Something in the woods on Lost Hill has claimed dozens of lives and the townspeople believe Covington’s shameful history is to blame.When do cold cases become too cold? Is justice only for the living? Dr. Aiden Sharp only sees facts and he only seeks the truth. He isn’t capable of imagining, in fact. But he begins to question his sanity and reality the moment he arrives in Covington. Logic is fluid and superstition carries just as much weight as the law in the small coastal town. The ideal hunting ground for a killer, if you think about it. Every clue only leads to more questions as Aiden struggles to solve an impossible case while surrounded by “crackpots.”What better sidekick for solving an impossible crime than an impossible criminal? Mr. Lavender gets much more than he bargained for when he volunteers to escort Aiden to a quiet seaside community. He expects a case of thirty-eight hangings to be a lark but finds himself face-to-face with a danger he can’t kill. The case proves baffling, the town unsettling, and Aiden goes out of his way to test Lavender’s patience. Our favorite “reformed” assassin soon learns that life is for the living but the dead don’t always go quietly.*This book can be enjoyed as a standalone but there is a primer at the beginning for readers who may be new to Lake Cliff and unfamiliar with our heroes.**This book includes topics that may be distressing to some readers. Suicide and hangings are discussed and there are descriptions of violent acts against women and children. less

It turns out there may be something that Mr. Lavender can’t kill. A secret is coming to haunt Lake Cliff and the people Lavender holds dear are in grave danger. Time is just about up, and the careful web of lies and bargains he’s woven is unraveling.As if things aren’t tense enough, Lavender has a very serious complication: Agent Paul Sloan. He’s on the trail of a sophisticated serial killer who’s pretending to be Mr. Lavender... moreIt turns out there may be something that Mr. Lavender can’t kill. A secret is coming to haunt Lake Cliff and the people Lavender holds dear are in grave danger. Time is just about up, and the careful web of lies and bargains he’s woven is unraveling.As if things aren’t tense enough, Lavender has a very serious complication: Agent Paul Sloan. He’s on the trail of a sophisticated serial killer who’s pretending to be Mr. Lavender. Paul is determined to discover who’s copying our favorite assassin, and why. Most importantly, he wants to know why Lavender doesn’t mind that someone’s stealing his secrets and flaunting it.How do you make a killer and what happens if the copy is better than the original? Something vicious and twisted has come to play and Mr. Lavender can’t keep it off his doorstep any longer. Whether he likes it or not, Lavender has to rely on the help of Dr. Aiden Sharp and company to stop a monster before it’s too late and evil arrives in Lake Cliff.Welcome back to Lake Cliff; one of the most dangerous places you’ll ever call home. less

It’s bound to get personal when a young woman is found dead and folded in a suitcase. When the evidence suggests a conspiracy involving a senator’s son with a bright future in politics, it becomes an obsession. Chief Lane West makes a pact with the victim and the gruesome case takes a physical and emotional toll.Determined to find the answers and justice, Lane turns to Mr. Lavender for help and uses himself as bait to expose a brutal murder and a sloppy cover-up... moreIt’s bound to get personal when a young woman is found dead and folded in a suitcase. When the evidence suggests a conspiracy involving a senator’s son with a bright future in politics, it becomes an obsession. Chief Lane West makes a pact with the victim and the gruesome case takes a physical and emotional toll.Determined to find the answers and justice, Lane turns to Mr. Lavender for help and uses himself as bait to expose a brutal murder and a sloppy cover-up. Then, the case takes a dreamy, dangerous turn and the consequences shake the residents of Lake Cliff.Dreams are strange and fickle things. They’re the truths we whisper when we surrender our consciousness and conscience to the night. Or, they’re meaningless and nothing more than a wild itch, conjured by our restless brains as they relax and unravel. What happens in our dreams doesn’t always stay in our heads. Sometimes, dreams blend with reality and come true. Sometimes, dreams become nightmares as Lane and Lavender confront the monsters under their beds, and the ones who put a dead girl in a suitcase. less

The hero. The lord. The Russian. Boom. Boom. Boom.Almost all at once and out of nowhere, Lake Cliff is hit by three shocking attacks. Determined to find answers, an unlikely team of investigators sets out to find a twisted and cunning killer. The clues lead them exactly where they don’t want them to and dubious new allies raise the stakes.“He cut off our heads with a carving knife.. moreThe hero. The lord. The Russian. Boom. Boom. Boom.Almost all at once and out of nowhere, Lake Cliff is hit by three shocking attacks. Determined to find answers, an unlikely team of investigators sets out to find a twisted and cunning killer. The clues lead them exactly where they don’t want them to and dubious new allies raise the stakes.“He cut off our heads with a carving knife...”There’s mystery, adventure and sex before things take a grim turn and the residents of Lake Cliff are left reeling. Secrets and chaos abound and our heroes face a baffling new foe. But...this is Lake Cliff. As always, Lavender and company band together and play by their own rules. Join Aiden Sharp, Mr. Lavender, Reginald, Toly and the rest of the family for a thrilling and chilling new adventure as the Lake Cliff story takes an exciting turn with the help of Dr. Aldous Hawkesworth, Mr. Blink and a curious assortment of friends.This is the eleventh book in the Boys of Lake Cliff series and is not intended to be read as a standalone. In fact, it is more of a prequel and part of a wider mystery involving exciting new characters. less

Who doesn’t love a good heist? Especially when it involves the FBI and a legendary Irish gangster. Speed has presented his new neighbors with an opportunity that’s too good to pass up but Lavender knows there’s a catch. The immaculate assassin is convinced that Speed’s past holds a clue that could have terrible consequences so he sets out to learn how this particular lost boy made his way to Lake Cliff. He’s spent his entire life waiting to make his move and love was never part of the plan... moreWho doesn’t love a good heist? Especially when it involves the FBI and a legendary Irish gangster. Speed has presented his new neighbors with an opportunity that’s too good to pass up but Lavender knows there’s a catch. The immaculate assassin is convinced that Speed’s past holds a clue that could have terrible consequences so he sets out to learn how this particular lost boy made his way to Lake Cliff. He’s spent his entire life waiting to make his move and love was never part of the plan. But Speed’s determined to have it all and give Blake everything. Love and romance are a lot more complicated than planning a heist or a hit, though. For the first time in his life, Speed is out of his element and he’s just about out of secrets. Can he get his revenge and keep Blake or is Speed about to run out of luck? *This book isn’t intended to be a standalone. In fact, it picks up right where Speed Trap ends and this mystery will continue to challenge our Lake Cliff heroes through A Marquis & A Bloody Mystery (A Lake Cliff Adjacent Historical Romance), Hit And Bothered, and finally conclude with a happily ever after in Little Red Revenge.* less