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Lucy Guardino FBI Thriller
Series · 9 books · 2010-2020

Books in series

Snake Skin book cover
#1

Snake Skin

2010

Just your average Pittsburgh soccer mom, baking brownies and carrying a loaded forty-caliber Glock... Lucille Teresa Guardino. A woman of many identities. Lucille to her doting mother, Lulu to her devoted husband, Mom to her pre-teen daughter, Lucy to her friends, LT to her co-workers, and Supervisory Special Agent Guardino to the criminals she captures for the FBI's Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement squad. A loving mom and wife, dutiful daughter, consummate professional, and kick-ass federal agent, Lucy is living the perfect life. Until the day she comes up against a predator more vicious and cunning than any she's ever tackled before, one who forces Lucy to choose between the life of the young victim she is fighting to save and her own daughter's....and Lucy's dream life is shattered.
Blood Stained book cover
#2

Blood Stained

2011

Just your average Pittsburgh soccer mom, baking brownies and carrying a loaded forty-caliber Glock... Until recently Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino was a shining star in the FBI's roster. But after killing a man and disobeying orders, Lucy's been sidelined, chained to her desk. When a mysterious letter arrives hinting that, thanks to Lucy, the wrong man was blamed for a string of serial rapes, kidnappings, and killings four years ago, Lucy jumps at the chance to re-open the case—despite orders to leave well enough alone. Her unofficial investigation takes her back to the small town that thrust her into the spotlight four years ago when she saved the killer's last victims—before the killer took his own life and the life of one final victim, a mother who left a ten year old son and loving husband behind. What Lucy doesn't know is that what happened four years ago was all a lie, fueled by sacrifice and betrayal, designed to shield the real killer. With the lives of her family, a group of innocent children, and the future of one desperate boy at risk, Lucy races to stop an innocent from killing and a killer from butchering more innocents.
Kill Zone book cover
#3

Kill Zone

2012

Lucy’s back! In a story ripped from the headlines, the violence is the worst she’s ever seen, the stakes are higher than ever, and then…things get personal. It’s a vicious, horrific crime: the brutal killing of a teenaged girl. When Pittsburgh detectives call FBI Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino to the scene, their focus is on who and why? Was it the girl’s Afghan father striving to regain his honor after she became too Westernized? Her Jewish boyfriend? Someone from Afghanistan settling an old grudge? Or one of the many drug cartels the father helped the DEA bring down seeking revenge? Former Marine Sergeant Andre Stone has been home a month, but he has yet to leave the safe haven of his grandmother’s house–other than to go to his appointments at the VA’s burn clinic. Andre’s disfiguring physical scars are the least of his worries. The emotional wounds of seeing his men massacred in a DEA raid gone horribly wrong have left him a walking dead man, numb to anything. All he can think about is revenge. On Rashid Raziq, the man behind the raid. When Andre is offered a chance at vengeance, the only question left is: How far will he go to get it? The answers seem clear when Pittsburgh becomes engulfed in flames as a violent narcoterrorist turns the city into a kill zone…But in the dark of night, surrounded by men intent on destroying the truth, Lucy and Andre both learn that secrets hide in shadows.
After Shock book cover
#3.5

After Shock

2014

As head of the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Squad, Agent Lucy Guardino has made a name for herself bringing the lowest of lowlifes to justice. Rapists, serial killers, pedophiles—she’s faced them all down with her signature grit and determination. But today is different. Because the man who has taken her prisoner has promised Lucy three things: that before this day is over, she will be dead; that someone in her family will also die; and that he always wins. Trapped inside her worst nightmare, Lucy faces a ruthless killer as he plays Russian roulette with the lives of those she loves. Wounded and unarmed, how can Lucy defeat a psychopath who doesn’t play by any rules? After Shock is a heart-pounding, lightning-paced thrill ride that will leave readers breathless as they root for the ultimate superheroine next door.
Hard Fall book cover
#4

Hard Fall

2014

59 days ago FBI Special Agent Lucy Guardino had a perfect life…and almost lost it all. There comes a time in every hero’s life when they fall harder and father than ever before and they face a choice that changes everything: to give up or claw their way back again. Lucy thought she’d made her choice two months ago when she sacrificed everything to save her family, but now she has to decide whether or not she can save herself… When honor, duty, and family collide…who would you save?
Bad Break book cover
#4.5

Bad Break

2015

Vacations can be deadly… FBI Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino is ready for a well-deserved break from chasing the worst of the worst. She’s hunted serial killers, violent child predators, and vicious psychopaths but nothing has prepared her for spring break alone with her teenaged daughter in a secluded beach resort in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. When Megan befriends a local boy who is accused of a brutal crime, it’s up to Lucy to soothe the ruffled egos of the well intentioned but ill equipped local police, prevent Megan from playing amateur sleuth, and track a cunning killer before Megan or her friend become the next victim. BAD BREAK is the sixth novel in the Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers series.
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#4.5

Sweet Dreams Boxed Set

2015

In 2014, the boxed set curated by Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research (title A SWEET LIFE), raised almost $100 000. This year we’re back for a second helping, and you can indulge, too! This fascinating limited edition collection features thirteen BRAND NEW thrillers by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling authors... Make a difference while you read! All proceeds from the sale of Sweet Dreams will be donated to the Diabetes Research Institute via Brenda Novak’s Online Auction for Diabetes Research. Featuring a foreword by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lee Child. When disgraced former cop Alex Morgan is shot saving the life of California's Lieutenant Governor, she doesn't expect to be caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy, an FBI sting, an old rivalry ... and cold-blooded murder. AIM TO KILL by NYT bestselling author Allison Brennan. NYT bestselling author Cynthia Eden invites readers to enter a world of darkness and obsession in her new romantic suspense tale, UNTIL DEATH. From NYT bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes the long awaited prequel to her Taylor Jackson series. CROSSED, the story of a madman trying to create his own end-of-days apocalypse, introduces Lieutenant Taylor Jackson to the young, troubled FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin. In TOYS IN THE ATTIC from NYT bestselling author Heather Graham, Michael Quinn is accustomed to dealing with the deadly, the dangerous, and the extreme—but a haunted spinning wheel? And on the eve of his wedding? He’ll have to risk his life, limb and soul for love to save Danni Cafferty from the cursed creation if he’s ever to get them both to the church on time—and live. J.J. Graves and Jack Lawson investigate a ritualistic murder while on their honeymoon in DIRTY DEEDS by NYT bestselling author Liliana Hart. From NYT bestselling author Alex Kava comes the prequel readers have been waiting for, and the case that destined Special Agent Maggie O’Dell to a career of chasing killers. From NYT bestselling author CJ Lyons: When workaholic FBI Agent Lucy Guardino takes her daughter on vacation, the last thing she expects is to become embroiled in a murder—or for her teenaged daughter to play amateur sleuth with disastrous consequences. When her twin sister disappears, Ellen Galway enlists the help of a Texas Ranger in SECRET HIDEAWAY, a story of love, danger and revenge from NYT bestselling author Carla Neggers. HANOVER HOUSE, from NYT bestselling author Brenda Novak, features Evelyn Talbott, a psychiatrist who studies serial killers at a revolutionary new medical health center in remote Hilltop, Alaska. Evelyn’s determined to unlock the mysteries of the anti-social mind, even if it kills her—and being surrounded by men who feel no remorse means it just might… NYT bestselling author Theresa Ragan’s newest suspense, DEAD MAN RUNNING, is set in motion when an accused murderer escapes prison in a body bag and sets out to prove his innocence. From NYT bestselling author Erica Spindler comes the prequel to her exciting new series starring reformed southern belle turned kick ass cop, Michaela Dee Dare. In RANDOM ACTS, Micki must uncover the link between a series of bizarre and seemingly random murders in New Orleans. Someone is slaughtering homeless people in WITHOUT MALICE, Jo Robertson's latest suspense-thriller. It's personal to Parole Officer Santiago Cruz because the targets are his parolees. With no motive or murder weapon, but with help from prison doctor Frankie Jones, Cruz must trace the brutal killings back to their tragic origin. Before Kathleen, there were just two brothers: Blane and Kade. One bonding trip to Vegas later and Sin City will never be the same in TURN THE TABLES, prequel to the Kathleen Turner Series by Bestselling Author Tiffany Snow.
Bitter Truth book cover
#11

Bitter Truth

2018

NEW!From New York Times Bestselling Author CJ Lyons: Former FBI Special Agent Lucy Guardino faces what may be her greatest challenge: turning forty. It’s been some birthday, filled with black balloons and gag gifts, a visit to her surgeon who isn’t happy with the way her leg has healed and suggests amputation as an option “before she gets too old,” and now a missed message from an old friend, a sheriff in a remote region of Idaho’s Bitterroot mountains, who needs her help. Lucy calls back only to learn he’s missing, presumed dead. Was it an accident? Suicide? Murder? The grieving widow and stunned community aren’t sure what the truth is. Accompanied by her husband, Nick, and armed only with her intuition, Lucy journeys into the wilderness to find her friend and solve the mystery. At least that’s the plan. Until Nick ends up in the crosshairs of a killer more cunning and devious than any Lucy has faced before. But what if she is too old, grown too slow, no longer has what it takes to bring down a killer? Will Nick pay the ultimate price for Lucy’s relentless quest for the truth? Join the millions of readers who've fallen for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart and grab your copy of BITTER TRUTH today! BITTER TRUTH is the eleventh Lucy Guardino novel, but they can be read out of order. If you enjoy captivating suspense, intelligent storytelling, strong and vulnerable characters, and a freight-train pace, then you'll love this adrenaline rush of a heart-pounding thriller from "a master of the genre." Want to read Book #1, SNAKE SKIN for FREE? Sign up for CJ’s Thrillers with Heart newsletter at CJLyons. net and receive your copy of SNAKE SKIN! Lucy Guardino FBI Thrillers in order: SNAKE SKIN BLOOD STAINED KILL ZONE (a Suspense Magazine Best Novel of the Year) AFTER SHOCK: a Lucy Guardino novella HARD FALL (Thriller Award Winner) BAD BREAK: a Lucy Guardino novella Beacon Falls Mysteries featuring Lucy Guardino: LAST LIGHT DEVIL SMOKE OPEN GRAVE GONE DARK BITTER TRUTH LESSER EVIL, coming soon! Praise for CJ Lyons’ Thrillers with Heart: "A high stakes adventure with dire consequences." ~New York Times bestselling author Steve Berry "A compelling new voice in thriller writing…I love how the characters come alive on every page." ~New York Times bestselling author Jeffery Deaver "Everything a great thriller should be—action packed, authentic, and intense." ~#1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child "Highly engaging characters, heart-stopping scenes…one great rollercoaster ride that will not be stopping anytime soon." ~Bookreporter "Storylines as hypnotic as the characters are magnetic...(Lyons) delights and satisfies." ~National Examiner 5 out of 5 stars: “CJ Lyons imparts such realism, it is hard not to become emotionally invested. Intense. Edgy. Believable. Highly recommend!” ~Best Fiction Books on SNAKE SKIN TOP PICK! 4 1/2 Stars: Combine Dirty Harry with a loving wife and mother and you might end up with Lucy Guardino. You won’t be able to put this one down. ~RT Book Reviews on SNAKE SKIN “An action packed thriller from page one! An amazing fast paced story with characters that jump off the page and capture your heart.
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#12

Lesser Evil

2020

The search for a missing baby unmasks a sadistic killer... Lucy Guardino has fought and defeated evil before... but nothing like the case Dr. Cassandra Hart brings to the Beacon Falls team: a missing infant, his mother dead. Alina, was only nineteen, full of hope—despite being raped, left for dead, and finding herself pregnant with the rapist's child. Then Alina kills herself. The world thinks she also killed her newborn baby. No one will investigate further, not without forensic evidence. No one believes there is a link between Alina's case and the brutal murders of other women. No one except Dr. Cassandra Hart and former FBI Special Agent Lucy Guardino. Two women, both fiercely passionate about justice for the victims they serve. And both just as determined to defeat the evil stalking the streets of Pittsburgh... even if it means risking everything. But when justice fails them, where will they draw the line? Is there ever a time when taking the law into their own hands is the Lesser Evil?

Authors

Erica Spindler
Erica Spindler
Author · 38 books

A New York Times and International bestselling author, Erica Spindler's skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and legions of fans. Her stories have been lauded as “thrill-packed page turners, white- knuckle rides and edge-of-your-seat whodunits.” Erica loves meeting and interacting with her fans, both in person and online. She has a wicked sense of humor, an optimistic spirit and loves coffee, chocolate and red wine, not necessarily in that order. In 2002 her novel Bone Cold won the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award for excellence. A Romance Writers of America Honor Roll member, she received a Kiss of Death Award for her novels Forbidden Fruit and Dead Run and was a four-time RITA® Award finalist. In 1999 Publishers Weekly awarded the audio version of her novel Shocking Pink a Listen Up Award, naming it one of the best audio mystery books of 1998. Erica lives just outside New Orleans, Louisiana, with her husband and two sons.

Alex Kava
Alex Kava
Author · 29 books
ALEX KAVA IS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the critically acclaimed Maggie O’Dell series and a new series featuring former Marine, Ryder Creed and his K9 dogs. Her stand-alone novel, One False Move, was the 2006 One Book One Nebraska. Published in over thirty countries, Kava’s novels have made the bestseller lists in the UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Poland. Her novel Stranded was awarded both a Florida Book Award and the Nebraska Book Award. She is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and International Thriller Writers. Kava divides her time between Omaha, Nebraska and Pensacola, Florida.
Heather Graham
Heather Graham
Author · 261 books

Also published as Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake. New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Heather Graham majored in theater arts at the University of South Florida. After a stint of several years in dinner theater, back-up vocals, and bartending, she stayed home after the birth of her third child and began to write, working on short horror stories and romances. After some trial and error, she sold her first book, WHEN NEXT WE LOVE, in 1982 and since then, she has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, vampire fiction, time travel, occult, and Christmas holiday fare. She wrote the launch books for the Dell's Ecstasy Supreme line, Silhouette's Shadows, and for Harlequin's mainstream fiction imprint, Mira Books. Heather was a founding member of the Florida Romance Writers chapter of RWA and, since 1999, has hosted the Romantic Times Vampire Ball, with all revenues going directly to children's charity. She is pleased to have been published in approximately twenty languages, and to have been honored with awards frorn Waldenbooks. B. Dalton, Georgia Romance Writers, Affaire de Coeur, Romantic Times, and more. She has had books selected for the Doubleday Book Club and the Literary Guild, and has been quoted, interviewed, or featured in such publications as The Nation, Redbook, People, and USA Today and appeared on many newscasts including local television and Entertainment Tonight. Heather loves travel and anything have to do with the water, and is a certitified scuba diver. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift, and she is grateful every day to be doing something that she loves so very much for a living.

Cynthia Eden
Cynthia Eden
Author · 174 books

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Liliana Hart
Liliana Hart
Author · 98 books

Liliana Hart spent five years teaching music in the public education system. She molded America’s youth, busted kids for smoking pot in the restrooms, and broke up illicit affairs behind the stage on a regular basis. (Liliana’s Addison Holmes Mystery Series, about a small town teacher who gets into a whole lot of trouble, is somewhat autobiographical, but she won’t confess to which parts). Liliana began reading romance novels with all her new found free time, and when she ran out of things to read, she decided to write her own novels. The result was a 150,000 word thriller—a dazzling adventure—where the heroine was a thirty-year-old virgin assassin (Yes, you read that right). She couldn’t imagine why people weren’t knocking down her door to read it, but she persevered and began writing a second book. She finally got the hang of things, and eventually learned that losing one’s virginity wasn’t all that romantic after all. All of her books involve some kind of suspense (she just can't help herself), laughter, and a lot of steamy sex. Since the failure of her first attempt, Liliana’s books have won awards such as: The Daphne Du Maurier, The Suzannah, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, The Maggie, and many others. Her affiliations include Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. Liliana loves to cook, and is addicted to reading, Internet Boggle, kickboxing, and Bones. She lives in a big, rambling house in Texas with a couple of cats to keep her company. She loves to get emails from readers. Enjoy the Adventures!

C.J. Lyons
C.J. Lyons
Author · 45 books

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over forty novels, former pediatric ER doctor CJ Lyons has lived the life she writes about in her cutting edge Thrillers with Heart. Two times winner of the International Thriller Writers coveted Thriller Award, CJ has been called a "master within the genre" (Pittsburgh Magazine) and her work has been praised as "breathtakingly fast-paced" and "riveting" (Publishers Weekly) with "characters with beating hearts and three dimensions" (Newsday). Learn more about CJ's Thrillers with Heart at www.CJLyons.net

Carla Neggers
Carla Neggers
Author · 73 books

Carla Neggers is the New York Times bestselling author of the Sharpe & Donovan series featuring Boston-based FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan, and the popular Swift River Valley series set in the small, fictional New England town of Knights Bridge. With many bestsellers to her credit, Carla loves to write now as much as she did when she climbed a tree at age eleven with a pad and pen and spun stories perched on her favorite branch. A native New Englander, Carla and her husband divide their time between their hilltop home in Vermont, a sofa bed at their kids' places in Boston and various inns, hotels and hideaways on their travels, frequently to Ireland. Find out more and sign up for Carla's newsletter at CarlaNeggers.com.

Theresa Ragan
Theresa Ragan
Author · 12 books

T.R. Ragan (Theresa Ragan) is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling mystery and thriller author. Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter or getting their name in a TR RAGAN book should check out her website at www.trragan.com Facebook • Twitter • Instagram: @trraganauthor LIZZY GARDNER SERIES Abducted Dead Weight A Dark Mind Obsessed Almost Dead Evil Never Dies FAITH MCMANN TRILOGY Furious Outrage Wrath JESSIE COLE SERIES Her Last Day Deadly Recall Deranged Buried Deep - 4/19

Jo Robertson
Jo Robertson
Author · 10 books

Like many writers, I penned my first story at a young age. However, a family and a teaching career put my writing dreams on hold until my Advanced Placement seniors conned me into writing my first complete manuscript. That story, which subsequently won RWA's Golden Heart Award in 2006, was THE WATCHER. From the moment I put my fingers to the keyboard, the barrier between my brain and the paper lifted, the story flew from my mind, and I fell in love with everything about the process of writing. Raised as an Army brat, I lived in Germany as a child, Northern Virginia, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Idaho, and Utah before finally settling in Northern California. Whenever I visit my sister in Virginia or my brothers in North Carolina and Florida, upon returning home I remember again why I love Northern California, home of the ancient redwoods, the fecund forests and the rugged Pacific coastline.

Allison Brennan
Allison Brennan
Author · 74 books

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes that life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. 40 books and numerous short stories later, Allison relocated in 2019 from Northern California to Arizona with her husband and two youngest children. RT Book Reviews called Allison “a master of suspense” and her books “haunting,” “mesmerizing,” “pulse-pounding” and “emotionally complex.” She's been nominated for many awards, and is a three time winner of the Reviewer's Choice award winner for RT Book Reviews as well as the Daphne du Maurier award. Most recently, she was nominated for Best Paperback Original by International Thriller Writers. Most recent book: THE WRONG VICTIM out now in hardcover, in paperback in September 2022. In 2023, DON'T OPEN THE DOOR (Jan); SEVEN GIRLS GONE (April); and NORTH OF NOWHERE (Aug). You can reach Allison through Goodreads or through her website.

Brenda Novak
Brenda Novak
Author · 92 books

It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career. “I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.” However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. In school, math and science were her best subjects, and when it came time to pick a major in college, she chose business. Abandoning her academic scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 20 in order to get married and start a family, Brenda dabbled in commercial real estate, then became a loan officer. “When I first got the idea to become a novelist, it took me five years to teach myself the craft and finish my first book,” Brenda admits. “I learned how to write by reading what others have written. The best advice for any would-be author: read, read, read….” Brenda sold her first book, and the rest is history. Now a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she continues to publish two or three novels a year, in a variety of genres. Brenda and her husband, Ted, live in Sacramento and are the proud parents of five children—three girls and two boys. Now that they are empty-nesters, she spends her free time babysitting her two grandchildren. When she’s not with her family or writing, Brenda is usually raising money for diabetes research. To date, she's raised almost $2.6 million. Her youngest son, Thad, has diabetes, and Brenda is determined to help him and others like him. She also enjoys traveling, watching sporting events and biking—she rides an amazing 20 miles every day! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-...

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