New Release!
GRAVE SECRET
An Absolutely Gripping Mystery and Suspense Thriller
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 6
When a decomposing body is found in the woods, it’s identified as an elderly woman who was buried in the cemetery weeks earlier. Who stole her body? Why? What is buried in her coffin? The discovery inside the coffin leads Police Chief Becker to interview an array of suspects, including a clown, a mortician, and a male stripper. Five orphan boys who live in a church have information about the dead woman, but they’re too scared to talk. Complicating her investigation, a young homeless woman is found murdered. The homicide investigation takes Becker into the backwoods, where she discovers vicious criminals are operating off the grid. Their crimes are spilling into Becker’s community, threatening the people she’s vowed to protect. To make matters worse, one of the orphan boys heads into the backwoods to avenge the young woman’s death. Becker needs to get these criminals into custody fast, before the young man becomes a killer, or ends up being a victim.
Another winner from Linda Berry!
Ms. Berry is a master at interweaving complex and original plots with beautiful imagery and unique characters. I have grown to love the main characters in the series. – Jaen Martine
THE KILLING WOODS
An Addictive Psychological Thriller
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 1
Homicide Detective Sidney Becker is burned out. After years of investigations in a big city, she’s haunted by grisly crime scenes and depraved murderers. Seeking balance, she accepts the job of police chief in her hometown—a peaceful mountain community in Oregon. Life is good. Beautiful scenery. Low crime. Close to family. Then a woman is found brutally murdered in the woods. The staging of the body is chilling, and resembles another victim found in the same area years earlier. The case went cold. Now the killer has come out of hiding. The killer is ruthless, and plans each murder to the smallest detail. The only clue found at the crime scene is an origami butterfly planted on the victim. Inside is a handwritten, meaningless verse. To outwit a killer more cunning than any she’s faced before, Sidney must decode his cryptic message and lure him into the open—before he strikes again.
The Killing Woods is a complex and thoroughly chilling thriller…one of those books you can’t wait—yet almost can’t bear—to turn the page. – Dave Edlund-USA Today Bestselling author of the Peter Savage thrillers
THE DEAD CHILL
A Gripping Suspense Thriller with a Shocking Twist
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 2
When a young Native American woman is murdered, a shock wave rips through the peaceful town of Garnerville, Oregon. Police Chief Sidney Becker, a highly skilled detective, won’t rest until the killer is in custody. She learns from tribal members that the victim had been releasing animals trapped by poachers. A poacher who caught her destroying his traps threatened to skin her alive. Sidney believes nine-year-old Tegan knows the killer’s identity. Blinded by lightning when he was six, Tegan has a heightened sense of smell and hearing. He often meets a ghostly man in the woods to conduct secret activities, which may have gotten the woman killed. Spooked, Tegan flees into a snowstorm. Sidney’s search party becomes alarmed when they discover the tracks of a lone rider trailing the boy. The horseman needs to be apprehended—fast—before he silences Sidney’s only witness.
#1 Bestseller in Kindle Store for Women Sleuths!
COLD REVENGE
A Spellbinding Psychological Thriller
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 3
Small town Police Chief Sidney Becker is pitted against a ruthless killer who’s obsessed with Viking mythology. The investigation will lead her team through a labyrinth of dark secrets and myths. The killer stays one step ahead of them at every turn. As they close in, he becomes more dangerous. They narrowly escape his deadly traps of fire and ice. What is the meaning of ancient coins planted on the bodies of his victims? What clues lie in the legend of the Viking apocalypse that killed the God of Thunder? Will the bones of a headless corpse help track the killer? He isn’t waiting for Becker to figure it out. He has more victims in mind.
#2 Bestselling Murder Mystery in Kindle Store!
KILLER MAGIC
A Novel of Chilling Suspense
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 4
Something sinister and eerie is afoot in Linnly County… When Chief Sidney Becker arrives at a crime scene on the lakeshore of her small town, she’s confronted with one of the most spine chilling murders she’s ever witnessed. The victim was drained of blood, yet the crime scene is immaculate. The man’s nude body is inscribed with mysterious symbols, and strange tokens are buried nearby in the sand. A highly skilled detective, Sidney won’t rest until the killer is in custody. The investigation takes her into the world of magical practices and beliefs; her suspects include witches, illusionists, psychics, and magicians. Their familiarity with the symbols from the crime scene send a ripple of fear through the occult community. Many are convinced that a demonic warlock is on the loose. Sidney has little patience for beliefs in magic spells and demons. She’s convinced the killer is a lone psychopath with a personal vendetta. But she can’t deny that something sinister and eerie is afoot in Linnly County—something coiled and venomous and evil, and it’s waiting to strike again.
Linda Berry has continued her excellent Sidney Becker police series with Killer Magic. A story told well! The “magic” is in the character development, mystery, and crime-solving, written in captivating lyrical prose.. – Dr. Robert F. Abbey
THE STING OF DEATH
A Riveting Psychological Thriller
The Sidney Becker Mysteries Book 5
A vicious killer is walking free, hiding in plain sight… When a violent crime spree erupts in small town Garnerville, Police Chief Sidney Becker puts her four person force on high alert. It starts with the vicious killing of a beekeeper in what appears to be a burglary gone horribly wrong. But the next morning a scantily clad woman is found murdered in her home. Bee-related evidence found planted on her body connects the two homicides. Becker’s team is now looking for a killer who is extremely knowledgeable about bees. As the investigation digs deeper, dark secrets of a sexual nature come to light. The case of a young woman who vanished without a trace is reopened. Other beekeepers come forward who have been attacked and had their beehives stolen. Respectable men in the community with spotless reputations are swept into the vortex. Suspicion is cast all around and Becker’s team must put out multiple fires. All of these crimes are somehow related. Becker needs to unravel the threads—fast. A vicious killer is walking free, hiding in plain sight.
I have read all of the previous Sidney Becker books, and every one has been a page-turner. The Sting of Death is no exception! It’s well written, and full of surprising twists and beautiful imagery. I have grown to love the main characters in the series, and the new characters introduced are colorful, entertaining, and eccentric. The details about bees and beekeeping were fascinating and added a unique element to the story. I found myself thinking about the characters even after the last page. – Jaen Martine
PRETTY CORPSE
A Novel of Chilling Suspense with a Shocking Twist
A Lauren Starkley Murder Mystery
When Patrol Officer Lauren Starkley finds an unconscious teenage girl posed as a corpse, she learns that the offense mirrors two other recent assaults. The attack is intensely personal to Lauren—the girl is her daughter’s close friend. Lauren feels compelled to do some off-duty investigation. The perpetrator is intelligent and methodical, and essentially invisible. But Lauren has uncanny detection skills, and routinely finds evidence missed by the detectives. She earns official trouble for her effort, but the warnings from her superiors don’t keep her from tugging at elusive clues. As she gets closer to the predator, he takes notice. Taunting Lauren, he demonstrates that he can get close to her, and to her daughter, Courtney, without a trace. Stressed and sleep-deprived, Lauren is determined to bring him down—before she or Courtney become his next victim.
Well conceived and intelligently executed, Pretty Corpse is a gripping police thriller. In Patrol Officer Lauren Starkley, Linda Berry gives us a strong and intelligent protagonist, one who is determined to see the job completed—even if that means jeopardizing her career …. The pace and dialog both move along smartly. Pretty Corpse is a must-read for any fan of suspense and thrillers. – Dave Edlund, author of the award-winning Peter Savage action/political thrillers
HIDDEN (PART ONE)
A Riveting and Suspenseful Family Drama
A Michael Sullivan Mystery
A Marine returns home after suffering wounds from an RPG blast that killed many of his squad members, including his best friend. He now faces brutal battles at home. Sully’s parents are estranged, his father is an invalid, and the family ranch is nearing bankruptcy. Murdering thieves are stealing champion horses and disappearing into the desert like ghosts. While attempting to make peace with his abusive father, Sully discovers the shocking secrets that drove his parents apart. Deeply resentful, he works with his father solely for the survival of the ranch. Sully finds comfort in Maggie, the mother of a young marine killed in action. Despite their age difference, he connects with her in a way he never thought possible. When a close friend is murdered, Sully and his Paiute companion track down the renegades. The epic violence that waits in the desert will test their survival skills—skills they never thought they’d use on American soil.
Berry has created a cast of richly detailed characters—some we empathize with from the first moments we meet them, others we loath with a feral intensity. But what makes Hidden especially enjoyable is the beautiful Oregon scenery combined with a tense and compelling plot. Sully, a Marine veteran, returns home hoping to recover from the violence he has witnessed. But a ring of horse thieves has a different plan, and soon Sully is forced to fight for his life and that of his family. Five stars and highly recommended!” – Dave Edlund, USA Today Bestselling author of the Peter Savage Thrillers
HIDDEN (PART TWO)
A Riveting and Suspenseful Western Drama
A Michael Sullivan Mystery
The much-anticipated finale of the epic saga of Hidden Part 1. A modern western classic! Sully, a wounded Marine, struggles to adjust to civilian life. The dark secrets that destroyed his parent’s marriage slowly come to light. Though furious, Sully is forced to live and work with his father for the survival of the ranch. The county is in an uproar. Thieves have been striking neighboring ranches, stealing champion horses, and disappearing into the desert like ghosts. After being severely beaten, a young up-and-coming bull rider escapes from savage killers. Justin’s luck changes when Hank, a rodeo champion, takes him under his wing and mentor’s him like the father he never had. When Hank’s horses are stolen, Justin takes it upon himself to go after the thieves—alone. What awaits in the high desert will sorely test his courage. After Sully’s close friend is murdered by the horse thieves, he and his Paiute companion decide to track down the renegades themselves. Their paths will cross Justin’s in an episode of epic violence. Sully must resort to survival skills he never thought he’d use on American soil.
Linda Berry paints a picture with words. A dramatic story filled with complex relationships, emotional growth, and external conflicts that move with perfect pacing, Hidden is a gem not to be missed. — Marie Harte, New York Times bestseller