Recommendations based on "Protecting Melody"

He doesn’t kill for thrills, for sex, or even for power.It’s far more twisted than that….Cody McFadyen, acclaimed author of The Darker Side, The Face of Death, and Shadow Man, delivers this shocking new thriller that brings to light a psychopath unlike any we’ve ever seen—a killer who thrives in absolute darkness and doesn’t derive pleasure from the kill. And only one woman has the ability to see him coming…even if it’s already too late to stop her own murder.For FBI Special Agent Smoky Barrett, the wedding of one of their own was cause for celebration. Until a woman staggered down the aisle, incoherent, emaciated, head shaved, and wearing only a white nightgown.No one knows who she is or where she’s come from—or why she’s chosen to appear in a church filled with law enforcement agents. Then a fingerprint check determines that the woman has been missing for nearly eight years—that once she was someone’s wife, someone’s mother…and a cop. Imprisoning her in a dark cell, depriving her of any contact with the outside world, her enigmatic captor was a man she didn’t know and who seldom spoke, who punished her only when she failed to follow his most basic instructions designed to keep her alive.Cold, businesslike, seemingly indifferent to his victims, he’s a predator with an M.O. as terrifyingly inscrutable as any Smoky has ever encountered. As she fits together the pieces of what remains of his victim’s fractured life, a chilling picture emerges of a killer every bit as calculating, masterful, and professional as Smoky and the team she leads—a professional psychopath who doesn’t take murder personally and never makes a mistake.There’s a reason he let one of his victims go free. And by the time Smoky pierces the darkness of his twisted mind, it may cost her more than she can bear to lose to escape. For a trap snapped closed the moment she took this case too much to heart.

As a social worker, Alison Taylor has a passion for protecting children and seeing that justice is served on their behalf. But when she starts getting harassing phone calls and bizarre "gifts," it seems she may be the one in need of protection. When her tormentor's attentions take a violent turn, her brother Cole comes to her aid, along with his new partner, an ex-Navy SEAL, Detective Mitch Morgan. As her relentless stalker turns up the heat, Mitch takes a personal interest in the case. Protecting Alison has become more than just a job--because his own happiness now depends on keeping her safe.Chock full of nail-biting suspense and heart-melting romance, Deadly Pursuit is Irene Hannon's storytelling at its very best. Fans old and new will not want to miss the next story in this series starring siblings fighting for justice.

THE CHRISTMAS TARGET When new evidence surfaces that Harper Shelby's niece is possibly alive, Harper doesn't expect it to endanger her life. For her protection, she has to put her much-guarded trust in Logan Fitzgerald, the man who unknowingly led a killer to her doorstep. Hired to track Harper down, security and rescue expert Logan doesn't like that he's been used to find a woman who someone apparently wants dead. Now he won't leave Harper's side until he can guarantee her safety and untangle the truth from the lies regarding her sister's and niece's murders. The closer they get to finding answers, the more intent the killer becomes on making sure that there won't be a family reunion--or happily-ever-after--for Harper this Christmas. Mission: Rescue--No job is too dangerous for these fearless heroes

"Fans of romantic mysteries will want to see more of the gutsy Kaely."--Publishers WeeklyFBI Behavioral Analyst Kaely Quinn's methods may be highly unorthodox, but her talent is undeniable. She's done her best to establish a new life for herself after being demoted and transferred to St. Louis when a reporter revealed she's the daughter of an infamous serial killer. But when that same reporter claims to have received an anonymous poem predicting a string of murders, ending with Kaely's, it seems her old life has followed her.When a body is found that fits the poem's morbid predictions, Kaely and her new partner, Special Agent Noah Hunter, are forced to move past his skepticism of her approach and work together to unravel the deadly riddle.With a brazen serial killer who breaks all the normal patterns on the loose, Noah and Kaely must race to catch the murderer before anyone else, including Kaely, is killed.

RUNNING FOR HER LIFE When Meagan Berry is caught on camera rescuing a senator, she knows her cover's been blown. After faking her death, she's spent months keeping her identity hidden from an abusive ex-fiancé. Now he's on her trail in remote Cedar Key, Florida. Officer Hunter Kingston knows Meagan's running from something, but he can't imagine anyone wishing harm on the pretty artist. Then an intruder breaks into Meagan's house, and Hunter promises not to leave her side. But when evidence from the crime scene doesn't add up, Hunter wonders whether he should trust Meagan. Yet he will have to put his faith in this mysterious beauty if they both want to live to see another day.

New York Times bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock delivers a gripping story layered with what ifs. "Blackstock keeps the suspense high throughout. Readers will have a tough time putting this nail-biter down." --Publishers Weekly Three best friends attend a concert. Only one makes it out alive. When police stop Dustin Webb with a warrant to search his trunk, he knows there's been a mistake. He's former military and owns a security firm. But he's horrified when the officers find explosives, and he can't fathom how they got there. Criminal attorney Jamie Powell was Dustin's best friend growing up. They haven't spoken since he left for basic training, but she's the first person he thinks of when he's arrested. Jamie knows she's putting her career on the line by defending an accused terrorist, but she'd never abandon him. Someone is framing Dustin to take the fall for shocking acts of violence . . . but why? Aftermath takes off on the very first page and keeps you glued to the edge of your seat all the way until the end with a plot that keeps you guessing, complex layers of friendship, a relentless quest for justice, the sting of betrayal, and a second-chance romance. "A solid mystery with a romantic undercurrent. Subtle reminders of God's love are sprinkled throughout the story." --WORLD Magazine

Sometimes evil lingers so close, you can feel it....Seattle police sketch artist Maggie Barnes has an extraordinary gift. She listens as traumatized crime victims describe their ordeals — and then uses those horrifying recollections to draw dead-on sketches of the assailants.Some cops think Maggie is telepathic, that she can actually enter the victims’ minds. Only Maggie knows the truth behind her rare talent ... and she isn’t telling.But her secret may be exposed when a madman seizes Seattle in his terrifying grip. He abducts women and blinds them, leaving them barely alive.The police have one hope: the lone victim who might recover her sight. But they don’t know that Maggie has her own dark connection to the monster — an eerie link that may stretch back to a string of unsolved murders.To stop the escalating terror, Maggie will have to push her abilities to the breaking point — even if it means confronting a predator whose powers seem to have no bounds....

DEA Special Agent Garrett Kohl must rescue a CIA officer when she's kidnapped in Texas by a nefarious band of criminals in this pulse-pounding thriller for fans of C. J. Box.Special Agent Garrett Kohl has just taken down a dangerous and deadly cartel boss when he finds trouble brewing back on his family's homestead. A powerful energy consortium, Talon Corporation, has started an aggressive mining operation that threatens to destroy Garrett's land, his family's way of life, and everything they hold dear. To achieve its goals, Talon is flouting the law, bribing public officials, and meeting anyone who challenges it with physical violence. When the Kohls themselves are attacked by Talon guards, Garrett goes on the offensive, embarking on an investigation that he hopes will rid the Texas High Plains of the intruders once and for all.Garrett soon discovers that the company has origins in the dark hinterlands of countries across the globe. Using coercion and assassination levied by men from former Russian special operations forces, Talon is working on a highly secretive scheme to commandeer precious U.S. resources. The tit for tat exchange between Talon and the Kohls erupts into a full-scale war when Russian spy, Alexi Orlov, kidnaps Garrett's friend and ally, CIA operative Kim Manning. While Talon may be accustomed to getting its way in many places around the world, they have yet to encounter this rare breed of warrior down in Texas. From a former CIA intelligence officer and consultant for the Department of Defense, this pulse-pounding thriller follows a man who will fight to the death to protect those that he loves.

A sexy U.S. marshal has his work cut out for him in USA TODAY bestselling author Delores Fossen's miniseries The Marshals of Maverick County With two infants already missing, Maya Ellison worried that her son would be targeted next. She would guard him with her life, but for once she wouldn't have to do it alone. Slade Becker went beyond the call of duty and sequestered the single mother and her son on his ranch. Slade guaranteed their protection, and soon Maya learned there was no place safer than within his embrace. Just as she knew there was no place in Texas that the kidnapper could hide from the imposing U.S. marshal--and nothing on earth that could break up their new family....

Living in Southern California, Cheyenne was used to seeing hot military men as she went about her daily business. An anonymous encounter at the grocery store cemented her crush on one such man. He was big, built, and incredibly easy on the eyes, but it wasn't as if he would ever really notice her. Always in control of any situation, Faulkner "Dude" Cooper knows explosives. As a bomb expert, he's lived through many high pressure situations. Disfigured by a bomb while on a mission, he's used to being looked at with pity. When he's called to a local supermarket to assist the local PD, the last thing he expects to find is a generous act of kindness performed by a beautiful, amazing woman. Enchanted by her selflessness in the face of danger and intrigued by her actions to save civilians she didn't know, Dude's hooked. Dude was able to save Cheyenne from the group of thugs trying to take her life, but when the past comes back to haunt them both, sometimes having the knowledge and the desire isn't enough to beat the countdown of the clock. **Protecting Cheyenne is the 5th book in the SEAL of Protection Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it's recommended you read the books in order to get maximum enjoyment out of the series.