Books published by Kensington Publishing

For the wealthy Murdochs of Chesterton, Virginia, managing scandalous damage and killer drama is now their only chance at survival . . .   The bad news just won’t stop for Evan Murdoch. As he battles an attempted murder charge, he’s on the verge of getting forced out of the family corporation—and fears he can''t trust his new wife, Leila. Evan finds himself leaning on his younger brother, Terrence, who might be the answer to his prayers—or lead to disaster like they’ve never seen.   With Evan’s future in limbo, Terrence struggles to keep Murdoch Conglomerated from catastrophe by becoming the new public face for the company. But a secret he tries to hide from his fiancée could send his best intentions—and last chance at love—down in flames.   Fiery Murdoch sister, Paulette, will do anything to protect her infant son—and her secrets. But her worst nightmare is about to come true. And with their vengeful half-brother, Dante Turner, closing in on the family he despises, the Marvelous Murdochs could pay a price that could finish them once and for all . . .   Praise for Best Kept Secrets   “Secrets abound in this full-bodied tale.” —USAToday.com   “This fantastic novel is replete with scandal, entitlement, treachery and passion up to the surprising end.” —RT Book Reviews   “Drama, hot sex, and betrayals are all wrapped up in this addictive yet well-written story.” —AAMBC Book Club

“Marina Adair is a breath of fresh air. . . . Don''t miss a word from this magnificent author!"—New York Times bestselling author Darynda Jones   Growing up the lone Asian in a community of WASPs, Annie has always felt out of place.  Her solution?  Start a family of her own. Not easy when every man she’s dated, including her ex-fiancé, finds “his person” right after breaking up with Annie. Even worse than canceling the wedding eight weeks beforehand?  Learning the “other woman” plans to walk down the aisle wearing her wedding gown. New plan—find a fresh, man-free start. Too bad her exit strategy unexpectedly lands her working at a hospital in Rome, Rhode Island, rather than Rome, Italy, and sharing a cabin with a big, brooding, and annoyingly hot male roommate.   Home on medical leave after covering a literally explosive story in China, investigative photojournalist Emmitt embarks on his most important assignment—cementing his place in his daughter’s life. Three men and a baby might work in the movies, but with a stepdad and devoted uncle competing for Paisley’s attention, Emmitt has lost his place at the family table. Then there’s the adorably sexy squatter in his cabin, who poses another problem, one he’d very much like to solve up close and personal. But he can’t win—Annie has sworn off men, Paisley’s gone boy crazy, and Emmitt’s estranged father reappears with a secret that changes everything.   Annie and Emmitt are about to discover love comes in many forms, and sometimes the best families are the ones we make.   Praise for Marina Adair    “Small town sweetness, endearing characters and a unique quirky flair."—Carly Phillips, New York Times bestselling author

A grieving mother learns to heal in Amish country, in this heartfelt, beautifully told novel from national bestselling author Laura Bradford. Danielle Parker is a gold-medal mom—the kind who volunteers in her children’s classrooms, shuttles them between activities, throws legendary birthday parties, and has a remedy on hand for any emergency. Whatever her husband, Jeff, and their children need, Dani is there, always. Except for one day. On that day—the day that Dani reluctantly takes some “me time” while her mom and Jeff drive the children to the park—the unthinkable happens. The car crash leaves no survivors. Somehow, Dani gets through the funerals and visits, accepting neighbors’ sympathy and dropped-off meals. All the while, guilt and grief make her wish the accident had claimed her life too. Then a call comes from Lydia Schlabach, an Amish woman Dani befriended in childhood. In addition to condolences, Lydia offers Dani something more: a place to escape to. In Pennsylvania’s Amish country, Dani’s days take on a new rhythm, marked by the clip-clop of buggies and the bustle of chores. Lydia gives Dani space to mourn, to think, and to realize how long it’s been since she felt like a person in her own right. And with the help of friendships old and new, Dani learns about the ways life continues to surprise us—even after the deepest loss—with joy, love, and second chances. . . . Praise for Portrait of a Sister   “Laura Bradford is a master storyteller; this book will stay with you for a long, long time.” —New York Times bestselling author Tasha Alexander    “A charming, well-told story of love and devotion between sisters.”—New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hauck

Includes A Front and Back Cover for You to Color!   With Halloween just around the corner, the fall colors in Georgetown are brilliant. As manager of the Color Me Read bookstore, coloring book creator Florrie Fox has arranged for psychic author Hilda Rattenhorst to read from Spooktacular Ghost Stories. But the celebrity medium arrives for the event in hysterics, insisting she just saw a bare foot sticking out of a rolled-up carpet in a nearby alley. Is someone trying to sweep murder under the rug? Florrie calls in her policeman beau, Sergeant Eric Jonquille, but the carpet corpse has disappeared without a trace.   Then in the middle of her reading, Hilda chillingly declares that she feels the killer''s presence in the store. Is this a publicity stunt or a genuine psychic episode? It seems there''s no happy medium. When a local bibliophile is soon discovered missing, a strange mystery begins to unroll. Now it''s up to Florrie and Jonquille to expose a killer''s true colors . . .

A whip smart librarian’s fresh start comes with a tart twist in this perfect cocktail of murder and mystery—with a romance chaser.   MURDER ON TAP   With Chicago winters in the rearview mirror, Chloe Jackson is making good on a promise: help her late friend’s grandmother run the Sea Glass Saloon in the Florida Panhandle. To Chloe’s surprise, feisty Vivi Slidell isn’t the frail retiree Chloe expects. Nor is Emerald Cove. It’s less a sleepy fishing village than a panhandle hotspot overrun with land developers and tourists. But it’s a Sea Glass regular who’s mysteriously crossed the cranky Vivi. When their bitter argument comes to a head and he’s found dead behind the bar, guess who’s the number one suspect?   In trying to clear Vivi’s name, Chloe discovers the old woman isn’t the only one in Emerald Cove with secrets. Under the laidback attitude, sparkling white beaches, and small town ways something terrible is brewing. And the sure way a killer can keep those secrets bottled up is to finish off one murder with a double shot: aimed at Chloe and Vivi.   “A slam dunk . . . surprising twists and turns.” —Kirkus Reviews on A Good Day to Buy

When social worker Hildy Schneider commits to an after-hours side job, she finds herself drawn into the darker side of small-town Sorenson, Wisconsin—and the twisted mind of an unnamed killer . . .   Strange things have been happening since Hildy started moonlighting with local police, but a desperate late-night call involving a former patient from Sorenson General Hospital tops the list. Although Danny Hildebrand has been tormented by hallucinations for years, he swears he’s being haunted for real by the victim of a grisly murder . . .   The rambling ghost story seems like another delusion. But after a body turns up in a neglected farmhouse crawling with secrets, Hildy and the magnetic Detective Bob Richmond rush to explain Danny’s knowledge of the incident. As the crime-solving partners unwittingly grow closer while examining a series of eerie leads, they realize that surviving past sunrise means shedding light on a criminal willing to do whatever it takes to stay in the shadows . . .   Praise for Annelise Ryan and her Mattie Winston series “The funniest deputy coroner to cut up a corpse since, well, ever!” —Laura Levine, author of Killer Cruise “The forensic details will interest Patricia Cornwell readers . . . while the often slapstick humor and the blossoming romance between Mattie and Hurley will draw Evanovich fans.” —Booklist    “Has it all: suspense, laughter, a spicy dash of romance.” —New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen   “[Ryan] smoothly blends humor, distinctive characters, and authentic forensic detail.” —Publishers Weekly

Ellen Marie Wiseman, acclaimed author of What She Left Behind and The Life She Was Given, weaves the stories of two very different women into a page-turning novel as suspenseful as it is poignant, set amid one of history’s deadliest pandemics.      In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone . . .   Since her baby died days ago, Bernice Groves has been lost in grief and bitterness. If doctors hadn’t been so busy tending to hordes of immigrants, perhaps they could have saved her son. When Bernice sees Pia leaving her tenement across the way, she is buoyed by a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission: to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”   As Pia navigates the city’s somber neighborhoods, she cannot know that her brothers won’t be home when she returns. And it will be a long and arduous journey to learn what happened—even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.

In this heartwarming series from Amy Lillard, three generations of women find the Oklahoma Amish community of Wells Landing a heaven-sent opportunity to take new leaps of faith . . .   Wife, widow, mother, and grandmother—sixty-something Nadine Burkhart is everything a sensible Amish woman is supposed to be. She’s moved to Wells Landing to give her daughter and granddaughter a fresh start—not herself. So as far as she’s concerned, good-hearted farmer Amos Fisher should find something better to do than try to draw her out, be there when she needs help—and make her believe in love for the first time . . .   A friendly but solitary man, Amos is realizing there’s more to life than work. Although he hasn’t courted in years, Nadine’s honesty makes him long to know her better—and understand her standoffishness. But when everything he tries fails to soften her stubbornness, he’ll just have to trust his heart that real, true, and utterly impractical love will prevail—for a lifetime…   Praise for Amy Lillard and her Wells Landing novels   “An inspirational story of romance, faith, and trust . . . will appeal to fans of Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis.” —Library Journal   “Fans of inspirational romance will appreciate Lillard’s vivid characters and positive message.”  —Publishers Weekly

When five maidels join forces to turn an abandoned barn into an Amish marketplace, the unmarried women have community in mind. But their fledgling enterprise promises to reap surprising rewards for each in turn, including the gift of unexpected love . . .     For Regina Miller, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a chance to share her secret work with the world—without revealing herself. Old Order Amish forbid the creation of art without purpose, but without a husband, Regina has been free to explore the joy of painting in her attic. Yet when Gabe Flaud’s curiosity leads him to speculate that Regina herself is the painter, the full weight of their community’s judgement falls on her shoulders.     When Gabe stands up to defend Regina, questioning the Order’s restrictions, he reveals his own guilty secret and is shunned along with her. Forced to turn to each other for companionship, the young couple must learn to balance their own needs with their deep faith . . . and a love that will show them all things are possible.     Praise for the novels of Charlotte Hubbard   “Hubbard firmly grounds the storyline in the principle of Amish grace.” —Publishers Weekly   “Fans of Amish fiction will love Charlotte Hubbard’s series.” —Marta Perry

Freelance book editor Mikki Lincoln knows the makings of a well-written story. But she’ll need to choose her words wisely when a new assignment introduces a deadly plot twist . . .   Forgotten on the outskirts of quaint Lenape Hollow, Feldman’s Catskill Resort Hotel has outlasted its heyday as a popular tourist destination and now awaits demolition. But once Mikki is hired to edit a revealing memoir by Sunny Feldman, the last living relative of its original owners, the doomed resort quickly ends up back in the spotlight . . .   Unfortunately, everyone’s attention shifts to Mikki when a body is discovered at the demolition site. Seen arguing with deceptive entrepreneur Greg Onslow right before his shocking death, the editor has no choice but to spell out exactly why she isn’t guilty of murdering him . . .   Mikki’s dash for answers brings Greg’s shady dealings into focus, along with an unsettling list of potential culprits. As false leads and dead ends force her to revise theories on who really did it, can Mikki judge fact from fiction before the investigation reaches a terrifying conclusion?

In life, as in gaming, there’s a way around every obstacle . . .   To pitch her new role-playing game at a European conference, developer Sierra Reid needs to overcome her terror of public speaking. What better practice than competing in a local bar’s diary slam, regaling an audience with old journal entries about her completely humiliating college crush on gorgeous Tristan Spencer?   Until the moderator says, “Next up, Tristan Spencer . . .”   Sierra is mortified, but Tristan is flattered. Caught up in memories of her decade-old obsession as they reconnect, Sierra tries to dismiss her growing qualms about him. But it’s not so easy to ignore her deepening friendship with Alfie, the cute, supportive bar owner. She and Alfie were college classmates too, and little by little, Sierra is starting to wonder if she’s been focusing her moves on the wrong target all along, misreading every player’s motivations.   Maybe the only winning strategy is to start playing by her heart . . .

Against the picturesque coastal Maine setting that she evokes so well, bestselling author Holly Chamberlin creates a heartfelt story of family bonds and new beginnings . . .   It came as no surprise to anyone in Yorktide when glamorous Carol Ascher fled the little Maine town for New York City. While Carol found success as an interior designer, her younger sister, Bonnie, stayed behind, embracing marriage and motherhood. She even agreed to take in Carol’s teenage daughter during a tumultuous patch. Now both their girls are grown and Bonnie, recently widowed, is anticipating the day she’ll retire to Ferndean House, the nineteenth-century family home on the rocky Maine coast.   But forty-five years after leaving Yorktide, Carol suddenly announces that she’s moving back—into Ferndean. Bonnie is indignant. She’s the one who kept the homestead in order and tended to their dying mother. Now Carol expects to simply buy her out? As far as Bonnie is concerned, Ferndean is part of their heritage—not just another of Carol’s improvement projects, to be torn apart and remade according to her whim.   The entire Ascher family is in flux, uncovering secrets that upend their relationships. Carol’s longing to be welcomed home is fueled by a painful truth she’s carried for years. It will take an extraordinary summer—in a remarkable place—to lead these women back to each other, buoyed by the tides of friendship and forgiveness.

Fondly nicknamed "The Peanut Butter Brothers," Andrew, Abraham, and Austin Petersheim skillfully run one of Wisconsin's most cherished family businesses. But their mischievous younger twin siblings have a talent all their own-for matchmaking . . . Between work and keeping his little brothers out of trouble, Austin Petersheim barely has time to think, much less court the most popular maidel in town. But if he can establish a local market to direct-sell his family's goods, he'll stand out as a potential husband. He's so grateful for the help of his longtime friend, Hannah Yutzy, who has such practical ideas-and is so easy to talk to . . . While Austin embarks on his plan, his siblings have a plan of their own: to give Austin and Hannah a little nudge to show them they're made for each other. When their antics wreak havoc with a rival family emporium, Hannah must help Austin set things right. And as she does just that, Austin is stunned to realize his best friend could be his perfect wife. Now he'll just need the courage and faith to find out if she agrees . . . Praise for Jennifer Beckstrand and Andrew "Fans of Dee Henderson will relish Beckstrand's clever plot and moving ruminations on the nature of forgiveness." -Publishers Weekly

Johnstone Justice. What America Needs Now.   In this exciting new series, bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone pay homage to America’s trail-hardened backwoodsmen who, like a fine grain whiskey, only get better with age . . .   REAL MEN DON’T RIDE INTO THE SUNSET   In his mountain-man days, Elwood “Firestick” McQueen was practically a living legend. His hunting, tracking, and trapping skills were known far and wide. But it was his deadly accuracy with a rifle that earned him the Indian name “Firestick.” His two best buddies are Malachi “Beartooth” Skinner—whose knife was as fatal as a grizzly’s chompers—and Jim “Moosejaw” Hendricks, who once wielded the jawbone of a moose to crush his enemies in the heat of battle.   Of course, things are different nowadays. The trio have finally settled down, running a horse ranch in West Texas—and spending quality time with their lady friends. But if you think these old boys are ready for lives of leisure, think again . . .   Firestick is the town marshal. Beartooth and Moosejaw are his deputies. And when a hired gunman shows up with bullets blazing, these three hard-cases are ready to prove they aren’t getting older.   They’re getting deadlier . . .   Live Free. Read Hard.

Johnstone Country. Where it’s never quiet on the Western front.   Life on the straight and narrow is easier said than done for a pair of crooks like Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker. But these reprobates are doing their damnedest to make an honest go of it. They’ve managed to safely deliver a church organ to a mountain parish when their sometime employer—Chief U.S. Marshal Luther T. “Bleed-’m-So” Bledsoe—recruits them for a job only fools would take. Marshal Bledsoe wants them to pick up a shipment of gold in the mining town in the Sawatch Mountains. Here’s the catch: Slash and Pecos’s wagon is just a decoy. When a ruthless gang ambushes the real gold shipment, it’s up to Slash and Pecos to go after the trigger-happy bandits. And they won’t be alone. A lady Pinkerton, Hattie Friendly—who is anything but—survived the ambush and is hellbent on getting the gold back. Even if she has to team up with a pair of ornery old cutthroats like Slash and Pecos. . . . The Cutthroats are back. The bad guys are history. Live Free. Read Hard.

Johnstone Justice. Double Barreled.   When a legendary frontiersman teams up with a legendary mountain man, the wild west will never be the same. But first they’ve got to live up to their legends—or die trying . . .   THEY CAME TO KILL   There are some things in this world that can’t be stopped. Like progress, a moving train, and the American Dream. When the bigwigs in Washington decide to build a transcontinental railroad to the West Coast, they need a man who’s just as unstoppable to clear a path through Mexican territory. That man is Jamie MacCallister.  Jamie knows it’s a tough job. The territory is overrun with Apaches. The Apaches are gunning for a fight. And the first patrol sent in by the President has already been ambushed, kidnapped, and most likely killed. Jamie knows he can’t take on the whole Apache nation by himself. He needs help. He needs back-up.   He needs a non-stop force of mountain-man fury who goes by the name of Preacher . . .Live Free. Read Hard.