Rowdy and deep-dyed "southern," a comic first novel of politics, booze, and a ne'er-do-well's coming of age

His cover: courthouse janitor. His cause: justice. But when Paul McGrath uncovers a shocking connection to a file of missing evidence, he finds the truth sometimes hits a little too close to home. An intelligence agent-turned-courthouse janitor, Paul McGrath notices everything and everyone—but no one notices him. It’s the perfect cover for the justice he seeks for both his father and the people who’ve been wronged by a corrupt system. Now he’s discovered a missing file on Alex Pardew—the man who defrauded and likely murdered McGrath’s father but avoided conviction, thanks in large part to the loss of this very file. And what lies behind its disappearance is even worse than McGrath had feared. Meanwhile, at the courthouse, he stumbles on the case of Len Hendrie, a small businessman who’s been accused of torching a venture capitalist’s mansion. Though Hendrie admits starting the fire, McGrath learns how the VC has preyed on average Joes to benefit himself—and his extensive wine collection. McGrath can’t resist looking deeper into this financial predator and soon finds himself in a gray area between his avenging moral compass and the limits of the law. Then, just as the Hendrie case is heating up, McGrath receives word of the death of his father’s former housekeeper, sending him back to his family home to confront unfinished business from his past. And he’s about to find some unwelcome truths about the mother he lost as a child—and the father who hid even more secrets than he realized.

“The night they killed our neighbors, we never heard a thing.” In a quiet suburban neighborhood, in a house only one door away, a family is brutally murdered for no apparent reason. And you think to yourself: It could have been us. And you start to wonder: What if we’re next? Linwood Barclay, critically acclaimed author of No Time for Goodbye, brings terror closer than ever before in a thriller where murder strikes in the place we feel safest of all. Promise Falls isn’t the kind of community where a family is shot to death in their own home. But that is exactly what happened to the Langleys one sweltering summer night, and no one in this small upstate New York town is more shocked than their next-door neighbors, Jim and Ellen Cutter. They visited for the occasional barbecue and their son, Derek, was friends with the Langleys’ boy, Adam; but how well did they really know their neighbors? That’s the question Jim Cutter is asking, and the answers he’s getting aren’t reassuring. Albert Langley was a successful, well-respected criminal lawyer, but was he so good at getting criminals off that he was the victim of revenge—a debt his innocent family also paid in blood? From the town’s criminally corrupt mayor to the tragic suicide of a talented student a decade before, Promise Falls has more than its share of secrets. And Jim Cutter, failed artist turned landscaper, need look no further than his own home and his wife Ellen’s past to know that things aren’t always what they seem. But not even Jim and Ellen are ready to know that their son was in the Langley house the night the family was murdered. Suddenly the Cutters must face the unthinkable: that a murderer isn’ t just stalking too close to home but is inside it already. For the Langleys weren’ t the first to die and they won’t be the last. Praise for Too Close to Home “[Linwood] Barclay knows how to put ordinary people into extraordinarily dangerous circumstances. . . . Readers will zip through it with delight.”—Publishers Weekly “[An] affecting and effective thriller.”—Wall Street Journal Review

"Baja California is no place for a woman alone," said the arrogant stranger. Mark Chavira was too handsome by far. And far too self-assured. But Joey Scott pointedly ignored his disturbing stare and set out for La Paz, Mexico. All too soon she would be forced to accept the shelter—and protection—of the very same man who had warned her about notorious, deserted Highway 1. Joey was afraid of Mark, but she was more afraid of herself. Was he uncomfortably close to the truth when he suggested that without him—without love—the very life of the beautiful young accountant would be on the losing side of the ledger?

Up close, and way too personal! Breaking and entering is hardly her style, but Iona MacCabe needs her passport back from her ex's motel room. Jaded L.A. private investigator Zane Montoya is staking out a con man's motel room when this pretty Scottish girl gets seriously in the way. For her own safety, he'll keep her under his very close protection…. Except independent, willful Iona is not best pleased to be "rescued"—even by someone as sexy as blue-eyed, gorgeous Zane! And when he discovers just how innocent she really is, suddenly their scorching attraction feels even more dangerous…. Extra bonus: included is The Wedding Dress Diaries by Aimee Carson, the prequel to our fab new quartet!

Forced proximity, natural attraction Moving in with her brother isn't what free-spirited Grace McKnight imagined doing at age thirty. But under the circumstances, it's for the best. The complicating factor? Kyle Clark, her brother's business partner--aka the most infuriatingly buttoned-up person Grace has ever met. Living with Kyle causes as much friction as Grace expected. And plenty she didn't. She and Kyle have more in common than she thought. Now, instead of pressing his buttons, she'd rather undo them. Only, getting closer to Kyle means discovering his darkest secrets, and convincing him--and herself--those secrets won't tear them apart.

Too Close to the Edge- A SHORT STORY- Artist Penelope had been looking forward to going with her husband, sister and brother-in-law to see the Grand Canyon…even though she was terrified of heights and, when she got there, couldn’t bear to get too close to the edge. She watched people balancing on one foot, acting foolish, taking photos, oblivious of the death waiting below them at their feet. Their careless antics made her dizzy, took her breath away. Scared her. Especially when the woman beside her relates the story of a small child that fell into the Canyon to her death the day before. Many people died that way. Over the edge. Many also died down inside the Canyon. Hikers. Lost people. People on the river going through the rapids. Then she sees a young girl go over the edge and no one will believe her. For there was no child that had died–that day anyway. Was she seeing things that weren’t there…or was there another explanation?

Quincy Westbrooke has been in the dating game long enough to know exactly what he's looking for in a woman: tall, attractive, long hair, intelligent, no kids, independent, and most of all, drama free! His perfect criteria is thrown out the window when he meets Paige Michaels. "No" isn't a word that Charysse Westbrooke is used to hearing from anyone, but now it seems to be a part of her brother's vocabulary, and she thinks it's because of Paige, the new woman in his life, and she ain't having it. Paige Michaels is living the good life and loving it. Her plate is too full with her job, her daughter, her friends, and her new man to even be worried about her ex-boyfriend or his new wife. Find out what happens when Paige is confronted with a mix of friends, family, her baby daddy, her baby daddy's family, his friends, his sister, and all kinds of issues in between. It doesn't take long before the drama rises to the next level.

*NOW A MAJOR THREE-PART ITV1 DRAMA, STARRING EMILY WATSON AND DENISE GOUGH* 'Too Close is a fantastically compelling, brilliantly scripted whydunnit' Guardian 'A gripping psychological thriller with a Killing Eve twist' Radio Times 'Seriously brilliant - quality writing, three dimensional characters and a sharp wit.' Emma Curtis, author of the bestselling One Little Mistake ***** Connie has woken up in a psychiatric hospital. She's been accused of a terrible crime, but she says she can't remember a thing. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Emma Robinson is assigned to the case. Her assessment will determine Connie's fate: prison, life in hospital - or freedom. Emma hopes the high-profile case will make her career but their sessions quickly become a cat-and-mouse game of manipulation and exploitation. Emma must get close enough to her patient to uncover the truth. But when dealing with someone as potentially dangerous as Connie, how close is too close? ***** AUTHORS LOVE TOO CLOSE: 'Wonderfully suffocating . . . Natalie Daniels is one to watch!' Phoebe Morgan 'Subtle, deep and chilling . . . I couldn't put it down.' Rosanna Ley 'A tremendous, powerful, audacious novel - full of scathing insight ; full of raw, compelling feeling.' William Boyd WHAT READERS ARE SAYING: 'I truly am astounded with this novel' 'Utterly absorbing, a real page turner' 'Full of twists and turns, enjoyed from beginning'