Twenty Seconds to Midnight

Each year the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists sets the Doomsday Clock after consultation with its board of sponsors, which includes nine winners of the Nobel Prize. The clock is a universally recognized indicator of the world’s vulnerability to global catastrophe brought about by man-made technologies.

On January 29, 2025, the Atomic Scientists shifted the clock’s hands to 89 seconds to midnight, citing the combined threats of climate change, nuclear war, and misuse of artificial intelligence.

Working at a point in the future, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Dr. Clare McGarrity has developed a formula making the Mojave Desert in Death Valley bloom. She has been tasked with trying to expand and refine her formula for use in the great Sahara Desert with the goal of helping feed the starving people of Africa and soon, the Middle East.

Unknown to her, the research assistant working beside her is a terrorist, ordered by his government to steal her formula.

Whistling Cay

Vivian and Rich Somners’ Caribbean vacation turns into the ultimate fantasy when they discover a fortune of gold doubloons spread off the beach of an outer island called Whistling Cay. For Vivian, this sweetest of dreams morphs into a nightmare when the next day Rich and the gold vanish. Is his disappearance a result of a kidnapping, or is it an act of selfish abandonment? She’s certain of the former, but not so are the police, the press, and nearly all the populace of the Virgin Islands. Vivian soon faces a seemingly endless chain reaction of ordeals, though she remains obsessed with saving a beloved husband she alone refuses to fear.

Death in the Tower

Isabel de Clare has grown up far from the intrigues of court life, but at 16, she is more than ready to leave behind a life in the countryside and finally begin to live. William Marshal is a seasoned knight who has seen enough of the word to be tired of it, and is now Henry II’s right-hand man in England. When a man is poisoned at the Tower of London, Henry is certain he was the one meant to die and tasks William with the job of unveiling the murdered. Richard, earl of Pembroke, is summoned to Henry’s side and arrives in London with his daughter, Isabel, his son Gilbert, and his niece, Alys. The de Clares and William are thrown together in the course of investigation, and the attraction between the Isabel and William is instantaneous. As sparks between them fly, bodies continue to fall. Will they be able to unmask the killer without ruining their chance at a life together?

Below

Drawing inspiration from a chilling, real-life enigma of an airline crash in the Gulf of Mexico, this thriller plunges deep into the heart of the southern U.S.

What dark secrets did the passenger on the ill-fated flight harbor, and what unspeakable terror was he transporting?

Dive into a tale where every twist beckons a haunting question, pulling you deeper into the mystery.

Dancing with the Devil

In a desolate stretch of highway on the southwest side of Chicago, a young blonde woman known only as ‘Mary’ has been haunting the living for decades. From police officers to cab drivers, and from airline pilots to curious teens, many have reported chilling encounters with her. But there’s a twist: Mary has been dead and buried since 1936. Why does her restless spirit persist in making such frequent appearances even nearly a century later? Trapped in a web of dangerous political intrigue in life, what is it that Mary so desperately seeks in the afterlife? Why can’t she find eternal peace? As the sightings continue to unfold, this gripping tale unravels the mystery behind Mary’s ceaseless wanderings on this lonely, otherworldly expanse of Chicago roadway.

Rewind Ranch

What price would you pay to reclaim the vigor and allure of youth? Four spirited Southern seniors are about to find out. Tempted by the promise of Rewind Ranch, a paradise nestled in Hawaii’s enchanting Hana hills, they embark on a journey that promises unlimited cosmetic enhancements, captivating company, and indulgent escapades.

As the ladies dive into a world of luxury, laughter, and liaisons, they soon discover that the ranch offers more than just superficial pleasures. Beneath the veneer of hedonistic delights, a darker secret lurks. As doubts creep in and stakes rise, they realize their dream vacation might be a trap they need to escape to ensure their very survival.

Join these fearless women on a roller-coaster of suspense and camaraderie, where beauty is more than skin deep, and friendship is the ultimate savior.

Barb Wire Bible

Morgan Maguire ranched with her family along the highline between Montana and Canada. She worked with her father providing guide services for hunters and also assisted the Sheriff’s Search and Rescue as a tracker to apprehend criminals and return the lost to their loved ones. This cowgirl spent many years learning to cope with the Irish legacy of ‘second sight’ with the help of her mentor Charlie Many Dreams, a Blackfeet medicine man. Her peaceful world was torn apart when the drug dealer she was tracking shot her longtime friend, who was riding for the Blackfeet Tribal Police. Swearing to find this killer, her quest brings her into the steel and cement canyons of New York to obtain justice. A place as alien as the moon to her.

Shoes to Kill

Shoes to Kill is about the case of a media mogul found murdered at the home of one of the nation’s leading college basketball coaches during a nationally televised game. It plays on the State’s and South’s obsession with college sports, particularly basketball and football.

The protagonist, Detective Hatchell Breeze, seeking retribution for a previously botched and forgotten case involving the university football team, enthusiastically takes on the investigation and an inevitable confrontation with the powerful players of the state university once again.

This leads him to prostitution, illegal drugs, errant boosters, big business, university stonewalling, and the prominent men and women of college sports. As he tries to connect the two cases, he is reminded of his own bitter history with the university, forever embedded in his mind as his own life spins out of control.

Every Bad Thing

This dark and deeply moving novel from Shannon Gill Burnett follows the life of Danielle Smith, a woman from Green Bay, Wisconsin. From her childhood through her college years at Northwestern, to marriage, motherhood, and eventually a suicide attempt, Danielle's story is both heart-wrenching and raw.

After her attempt to take her life fails, Danielle is faced with a powerful revelation. Why should she be the one to go, when she has done nothing wrong? Her husband of twenty years announces he is leaving her to start a new life with his pregnant paralegal. Danielle, who gave up her career, her dreams, her figure, and her identity for her family, is left with nothing but questions.

Every Bad Thing explores what happens when a woman, hanging on by a thread, finally reaches her breaking point. What happens to any of us when we simply cannot hold on any longer?

The novel takes an unflinching look at revenge, mania, and the final act of desperation. It explores the complexity of human decisions, asking who is right, who is wrong, and what truly drives people to the edge.

Written with compassion and psychological insight, Every Bad Thing delves into the debate of nature versus nurture and the origins of our darkest choices. Through Danielle’s unraveling and her unexpected path of violence, the story brings her full circle to a place she never imagined she could reach.

Take a gripping and emotional journey with Danielle Smith. You may be terrified in one moment and cheering for her in the next. Discover the brutal beauty and haunting truth at the heart of Every Bad Thing.

Black Swan Shock

Marla Case, an elite Olympic-bound athlete, finds her devotion to competition fading and chooses to step away. She considers becoming a medical responder and learns about the profession from a paramedic friend. Before committing to the rescue service, Marla accompanies her mother on an academic tour that ends abruptly when a massive earthquake strikes. The athlete reacts to save victims with her physical skills and newly acquired understanding of some emergency medical actions. She becomes a beacon of hope for the citizens of St. Louis, Missouri. However, personal tragedy affects Marla, as well, and she struggles to find catharsis herself. Black Swan Shock is the second book in Vettori’s Black Swan trilogy, although each of the three books can be read independently.

The first novel, Black Swan Impact, is a sci-fi political thriller that takes place in 2113. Having recovered from the devastation of World War III and reaching new scientific advancements, people believe only prosperity lies ahead until an emerging deadly pandemic threatens all of humanity. Dr. Syia (Sī-yuh) Case, National Institutes of Health Director of Epidemiology, is invited to advise US President Daniel Piper and the White House Crisis Action Team to try to mitigate the threat. Actions required to protect US citizens from the lethal virus become increasingly challenging. However, when Piper steers the country toward questionable courses, Dr. Case and the strident voices on the task force find there is more than a virulent virus to fight.

Black Swan Terror will round out the series.

An Accusing Finger

A man’s violent, early-morning death on the freezing pavement of a west-end convenience store parking lot in Canada’s capital city appears at first to be just another random act of gang violence. But is it?

The dead man has no identification, and his associate has mysteriously vanished. One of the victim’s fingerprints is linked to the unsolved murder of a young woman more than twenty years earlier. When Inspector Matt Armitage begins investigating the cold case, he uncovers a second, identical, unsolved murder. This one took place years later, in another city, in another country. As he works to close the case, Armitage discovers that cutting through red tape can cause serious, self-inflicted wounds.

Even if he were not a police officer, Inspector Matt Armitage of the Ottawa Police Service would be an imposing figure. He stands seventy-six inches tall in his dress socks, with a big-boned athletic frame, a thick shock of dark hair, and intense, piercing eyes the colour of Antarctic ice. He has an unblemished service record, but Armitage will probably never be promoted. His bosses believe he has one unforgivable flaw: he puts people first. He is a cop’s cop, operating in a milieu that rewards careerism and mediocrity, and punishes anyone who threatens the system’s status quo or the self-interest of the top brass.

An Accusing Finger was a Chanticleer Clue Awards finalist.

Love Comes More Than Once

Grace Wallace found herself a single mother, left to raise two daughters on her own. She poured her energy into becoming an extraordinary jewelry designer and gemologist, sought after by royalty, celebrities, and wealthy patrons for her talents. When a famous fashion designer requests that Grace create some extraordinary jewelry pieces, she eagerly accepts, hungry for the next challenge. Her search for rare and fabulous gems to incorporate into her designs takes her deep into the mountains of Colombia, where she suddenly finds herself kidnapped. Her partner and benefactor Charles Winslow desperately seeks help from a friend to find Grace. What follows is a thrilling and perilous journey to locate Grace and uncover why she was taken. Through resourcefulness, courage, and the enduring power of human connection, Grace must fight to take back her freedom as those who care for her refuse to give up the search.