Shannon Hollinger

The small child floats so gently in the water, he could be peacefully but the cold blue of his skin reveals his fate. One mother’s little boy is never coming home again.

When Chief Maggie Riley sees the body of the small boy still dressed in pyjamas in Beaverhead Lake, her heart breaks. Little Patrick Warner went missing last night. Despite immediately calling the entire town of Coyote Cove into action, Maggie’s desperate search failed. Even worse, it’s clear it was Patrick took his last breath long before he entered the water.

Maggie is devastated—Patrick reminds her so much of her beautiful younger brother, gone for so long. Visiting the tiny, rumpled bed where Patrick’s teddy bear still lies, and where Patrick was last seen by his mother Jenny, Maggie’s grief turns to rage. She is determined to bring whoever hurt Patrick to justice.

In this isolated community, someone must know something. But no one will talk. And if his family had nothing to do with it, why are they so secretive? As Maggie’s investigation gathers pace, her emotions threaten to overwhelm her. She still doesn’t know her brother’s fate—she won’t let that happen for little Patrick.

But when Jenny suddenly disappears, suspicions whirl around her role in Patrick’s death. Could she have been lying all this time? Or is Jenny herself in terrible danger too? To uncover the truth before more innocent lives are lost, and lay her demons to rest, Maggie will have to risk not only those closest to her but her own life too…

Chief Maggie Riley #4

One Little Sigh

A teacher, a student, a scandal.Thursday morning, Oliver Sager is the popular quarterback of his high school football team. Thursday night, he's the prime suspect in the disappearance of his history teacher, Mr. Lewis. In an instant, his life is turned upside down. But trying to convince the police he's innocent is just the beginning of his problems.As a deadly match of cat-and-mouse plays out, the only thing that's clear is that everyone has something to hide, and before the game is over, more victims will be claimed. Three people know the truth about what happened between Oliver and Mr. Lewis-and one of them will pay. An explosive thriller that packs a punch, with an ending that will leave you reeling.

Would You Rather

The sun is rising on another brutally cold winter’s day in Coyote Cove when Chief Maggie Riley finds an unmarked envelope on the steps of the police station. Inside is a photo of a teenage girl, bound and bruised. Maggie’s heart constricts at the terror evident in her tear-filled eyes. Who is she? What has happened to her? And most importantly, can Maggie find her, before it’s too late?

Maggie moved to Coyote Cove for a quieter, safer life than her former high flying city detective work. The work that left her emotionally shattered, that one, terrible case she couldn’t close lying so heavily on her even now. But this feels more personal than anything she’s worked on since then. With no one reporting the girl missing, seemingly unloved and forgotten, Maggie vows to rescue her, and bring whoever hurt her to justice.

As Maggie mines the photograph for clues to hunt down the girl and her captor, her search takes her deep into the seedy, dangerous underbelly of the secretive logging camps. Hidden away in the woods, a law unto themselves, Maggie is in unchartered – and deadly – territory. Then, when she finds the body of a girl who was thought to have run away years ago, one with ties of her own to the loggers, Maggie knows she’s on the right track. But as her search for the truth intensifies, Maggie’s own safety is put in jeopardy. Can she save an innocent girl’s life and get out alive herself, or could this be the one investigation she won’t survive…? 

Chief Maggie Riley #3

The Shadow Girl

Rain hammers the earth and a vicious wind rattles the trees. Then lightning strikes, the flash illuminating a young girl staggering out of the woods, her brown eyes wide with fright, a silent scream on her lips... There's a storm approaching the tiny Maine town of Coyote Cove when Chief Maggie Riley comes across the body of a man, blood seeping from stab wounds into the damp forest floor. As she desperately struggles to secure the evidence before the rain hits, Heather, a local teenage girl, emerges from the woods, shivering and unable to talk. Maggie, once a high flying big-city detective, lost everything when her four-year-old brother went missing five years ago. Heart-broken, she's never stopped searching for him: but now she is plunged back into the world she left behind. The victim, Maggie discovers, knew secrets about everyone in isolated Coyote Cove. It seems there are more local suspects in this case than people she can rule out. And with Heather still traumatised, Maggie struggles to unravel her strange appearance at the crime scene. Until, following a faint, bloody trail deep into the forest, she's horrified to unearth what the terrified girl's been hiding... But when Heather is kidnapped, the battle to identify the killer becomes a race to save an innocent girl's life. And with the whole town terrified, Maggie is shocked to uncover that this twisted killer is much closer to home than she'd ever imagined. Battling her own demons and memories of her missing brother, how far will Maggie have to go to save Heather? Or will another innocent young life be lost forever...? A totally addictive crime thriller packed with suspense. If you love Lisa Regan, Louise Penny and Melinda Leigh, you'll love The Girl Who Lied. Readers love Shannon Hollinger: "LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK!!... OMG!!!!... MIND BLOWN... Wow!!!... Had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end... The hair on my arms was standing on end and my heart was pounding... Kept me on the edge of my seat throughout... I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!!... Absolutely hooked!! I LOVED it." bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wow! I totally loved this book! Such a fabulous read!... kept me gripped from beginning to end... Can't give this enough big stars." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Shannon Hollinger took me on a TRIP - wow... I thought I had this figured out, but boy was I wrong... I was turning pages like a mad lady... I did NOT expect that ending at ALL... excellent... I was staring at my wall thinking "wow..."" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "HOLY BUCKETS... excellent... intense... twists and turns will give you whiplash... fantastic... The way the pieces fell into place was so insane I couldn't turn the pages fast enough... a scary, twisted, dark thrill ride from start to finish!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Girl Who Lied: An Utterly Gripping Thriller with Twists and Turns to Die for

The little dog trembles and whimpers, but refuses to move. Maggie reaches further into the undergrowth, trying to tempt it out. But as she moves closer, she sees something that stops her heart-a tiny, shivering baby, wrapped in a thin, pink blanket, saved only by its loyal protector. There's a ferocious storm heading toward the isolated town of Coyote Cove when Chief Maggie Riley gets the call every cop dreads. Three bodies have been found on Rattlesnake Mountain, half a day's hike from civilization. And when Maggie finally reaches the site, exhausted and freezing, she discovers something even more terrifying-a tiny baby girl, kept alive only by the warmth of a small dog who refuses to leave her side. As Maggie races the baby to safety, she wonders, why on earth the family risked hiking the mountain in this weather? Who were they and who could possibly have killed them? A former detective, Maggie may be an experienced investigator, but she's still an unwelcome newcomer. Battling town prejudice, her fears for the orphaned baby, and the increasingly dangerous weather, Maggie soon discovers the case is far more complicated than she could have imagined. The family is not who they seemed. The mother has never had a baby, there's no link between them at all. So whose baby is it, and where are they now? With Coyote Cove cut off by the storm, Maggie knows that wherever the killer is, they won't be able to leave. Stuck in town with a murderer on the loose, Maggie must race to find them before anyone else gets hurt. But she hasn't counted on the killer taking matters into their own hands, and going after Maggie first... An utterly compelling and addictive crime thriller, perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh, D.K. Hood and Lisa Regan. Readers love Shannon Hollinger: "LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK!!... OMG!!!!... MIND BLOWN... Wow!!!... Had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end... The hair on my arms was standing on end and my heart was pounding... Kept me on the edge of my seat throughout... I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!!... Absolutely hooked!! I LOVED it." bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wow! I totally loved this book! Such a fabulous read!... kept me gripped from beginning to end... Can't give this enough big stars." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Shannon Hollinger took me on a TRIP - wow... I thought I had this figured out, but boy was I wrong... I was turning pages like a mad lady... I did NOT expect that ending at ALL... excellent... I was staring at my wall thinking "wow..."" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "HOLY BUCKETS... excellent... intense... twists and turns will give you whiplash... fantastic... The way the pieces fell into place was so insane I couldn't turn the pages fast enough... a scary, twisted, dark thrill ride from start to finish!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wow, what a thrilling tale full of twists... Addictive... Just amazing." @renitadsilva, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Their Angel's Cry: A Totally Compelling and Jaw-dropping Crime Thriller

The woods are hiding more than Chief Maggie Riley could ever imagine. Including her own worst nightmares…

There’s a blood moon rising over the tiny Maine town of Coyote Cove. Chief Maggie Riley is driving home ahead of a storm when she comes across the body of a man, blood seeping from stab wounds into the damp forest floor. And Heather, a local teenage girl, standing terrified, a silent scream on her lips, beside him.

Maggie, a redheaded decorated former homicide detective and more than over-qualified for a two-horse-town police chief, has been hiding from her past for three years. The quiet of Coyote Cove was everything she needed after… what happened. But with this murder, the life she left behind has found her. The townspeople believe Heather—already an outcast, and an easy suspect—is the killer, but Maggie isn’t convinced. To uncover the truth, Maggie must use the skills, and contacts, of her former world, however painful that will be.

As Maggie digs into the victim’s background, she is horrified to unearth another body, this time an infamous local, as callously killed as the first. But Heather’s in custody; there’s no way she could be the culprit, and Maggie’s investigation turns to the townspeople. Who has a secret so dangerous they’d kill twice to keep it hidden?

Then Heather goes missing. The race to identify the murderer is now a race to save Heather. As the search turns to the woods, the hunt is on for the killer so skilled, so twisted, no one knows how many bodies it will take before they’re found. And whether one of those will be Heather’s…

Chief Maggie Riley #1

The Girl Who Lied

Ten years ago: On a warm summer's evening, four childhood friends gather at a slumber party... Before dawn breaks, the nightmare begins. One of them dies. One of them is a killer. Liz was the bubbly girl-next-door. She could never have imagined how everything would fall apart. Sami was the clever one, quieter than the others. She was meant to keep all their secrets... Amy had the voice of an angel, destined for Hollywood. She would never make it there. Mo was leader of the group, charismatic and protective. But she was not who she appeared to be... They were childhood friends, on the cusp of the rest of their lives. They'd shared everything with each other. Or so they thought... Until one of them died. Today: Liz tries not to think about the night that destroyed their lives. She focuses on her beloved husband and their sweet-eyed daughter. But when she receives a note, there's no more running away: "I'm back. Did you miss me?" A wave of dizziness crashes over her. Her best friend can't be back. She's dead. So who sent the note? What do they know? And, most terrifying of all, are they planning to make her pay for what happened...? A totally gripping, heart-stopping thriller about twisted friendships, dark pasts, and secrets to die for... If you love The Night She Disappeared, Girl A and The Housemaid, you'll love The Slumber Party. Readers love Shannon Hollinger: "LOVE, LOVE, LOVED THIS BOOK!!... OMG!!!!... MIND BLOWN... Wow!!!... Had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end... The hair on my arms was standing on end and my heart was pounding... Kept me on the edge of my seat throughout... I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!!... Absolutely hooked!! I LOVED it." bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Wow! I totally loved this book! Such a fabulous read!... kept me gripped from beginning to end... Can't give this enough big stars. Highly recommend." Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Jaw-dropping... kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat... excellent!" Bookishlaurenh, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Shannon Hollinger took me on a TRIP - wow... I thought I had this figured out, but boy was I wrong... I was turning pages like a mad lady... I did NOT expect that ending at ALL... excellent... I was staring at my wall thinking "wow....."" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ "HOLY BUCKETS... excellent... intense... twists and turns will give you whiplash... fantastic. I loved the darkness and mystery... The way the pieces fell into place was so insane I couldn't turn the pages fast enough... a scary, twisted, dark thrill ride from start to finish!" Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Slumber Party

I emerge from the trees, drenched in sweat, my voice lost as I take in the scene in front of me. The blood. The body. Emma's eyes meet mine for a second. "It was an accident," she whispers. Emma and I were childhood best friends. We did everything together. Until that terrible night in the woods. I couldn't tell anyone what I'd seen. We never discussed it, but our bond was too strong; I could never betray my best friend. Even if she had killed someone. But I also couldn't stay in town and watch her live a normal life, knowing what she'd done. So I left. Now, ten years later, I'm back. The guilt and the fear have stayed with me. And I have realized I need to reveal the truth if I'm ever going to move on. But I never get the chance. Because the day I turn up, Emma is found dead, and the way she died means I start to doubt everything I thought I knew about that night all those years ago. As my grief turns to anger at all those lost years of friendship, I realise with horror that Emma might not have been the only killer. Someone else is out there. Someone who was close to us both, someone who knew the smallest details of what had happened back then. Who from our small town could have murdered not once, but twice? And who's next...? An utterly gripping and compelling psychological thriller with twists and turns to die for. If you love Karin Slaughter, Paula Hawkins and Freida McFadden, you'll love Best Friends Forever. Readers love Shannon Hollinger! 'If you enjoy Freida McFadden's books you will really like this.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I loved this!... And that ending!! It was incredible... really great twists!... I definitely recommend this.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Oh WOW... this was a compelling, engaging thriller with twists that left me shocked. I loved.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Love... I was hooked, line and sinker!... I couldn't put it down... I highly recommend this one!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A real page turner! I started this book at bedtime and I should NOT have done that, because next thing I knew, it was 2:00 in the morning and I was already halfway through... extremely satisfying!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I love books messing with my head and not seeing where they are going to take me. The author did exactly that... Loved the bombshells that were being dropped left, right and center.' B for Book Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I haven't read a 300 plus page book this fast ever!... fast paced... atmospheric... Well written with some crazy twists!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Excellent... keeps you guessing until the very end.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Never read a book faster... Highly recommend.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Completely Gripping Thriller with a Jaw-dropping Twist

Best Friends Forever

Lawrence Block

Jenny Bhatt

Hilary Davidson

Michael Scott Moore

JoAnn Chaney

Gar Anthony Haywood

John Palisano

Brian Asman

Vinnie Hansen

Nik Xandir Wolf

Lindsay Jamieson

David Zimmerle

Gary Grace

Ewan A. Dougall

The Dark Waves of Winter is a follow up to the critically acclaimed anthology, The Silver Waves of Summer (Kelp Books, 2021). In this installment, the beach again takes center stage in stories from some of the biggest names in literary and noir fiction. From Edgar and Shamus award winners, to a Mystery Writers of America Grand Master, the sun-bleached noir in these pages features old school legends, alongside the brightest emerging writers in the game. Our contributors include Lawrence Block, Hilary Davidson, Gar Anthony Haywood, JoAnn Chaney, Michael Scott Moore, Jenny Bhat, Lindsay Jamieson, Brian Asman, Nik Xandir Wolf, David Zimmerle, Billy Minshall, John Palisano, Vinnie Hansen, Ewan A. Dougall, Shannon Hollinger, and Gary Grace.5/5 Stars from Indie Reader. "As each tale contains a compelling feature that makes it shine on its own, THE DARK WAVES OF WINTER is a first-rate anthology for literary short story fans with consistently excellent writing throughout."

The Dark Waves of Winter

Your heart pounds in your chest, breath catching in your throat as the hair on the back of your neck slowly prickles with the feeling of being watched. What is it that you're truly afraid of? The neighbor next door who might be a serial killer? Falling prey to a psychopath? Or your own inner demons, unleashed? Murder, mystery, mayhem - pick your poison. The stories in this anthology, previously published in periodicals ranging from Suspense Magazine to The Saturday Evening Post, run the gamut from Hard-Boiled to cozy, noir to funny, with whodunit as the theme.Whether you're a fan of great past detectives like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Poirot, or modern investigators like Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad and Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta, you'll find something to satisfy your inner sleuth within these pages.

A Collection Of Mystery, Suspense & Intrigue

Detecting Fear

Predicting Academic Achievement with WISC-IV FSIQ and Index Scores

Incremental Predictive Validity of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition

Sean Taylor

Teel Glenn

Lorraine Nelson

John Robinson

Kathryn Hearst

T. S. Hall

Kristi King-Morgan

Joe DiCicco

John Kaniecki

Donald McCarthy

Ray Dean

Thomas Kleaton

A chilling collection of modern horror stories full of both creepy events and morbid humor.

And Other Horrific Tales

The Bacchanal

Shannon Hollinger

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