Books published by Kensington Publishing

“The new master of the modern spy game.”—Mark SullivanFrom Black Ops veteran Leo J. Maloney comes a nonstop thrill ride straight into the secret world of covert agents . . .   Rogue CommanderFour-star general James Collins has been accused of stealing a cache of Tomahawk missiles—and reaches out to his friend, CIA veteran Dan Morgan, for help. But Morgan is playing with fire. The Zeta Division, chasing down a black-market middleman, discovers a connection to a North Korean military officer—and one of his team winds up a prisoner in Pyongyang. As Morgan takes a series of escalating risks, it becomes clear that a global plot is already in motion—and if they can’t stop it, an unimaginable number of innocent civilians will be slaughtered . . . Praise for Leo J. Maloney and His Novels“Utterly compelling! Dan Morgan is one of the best heroes to come along in ages.” —Jeffery Deaver“Fine writing and real insider knowledge.” —Lee Child“Everything a thriller reader wants.” —Ben Coes“A ripping story!” —Meg Gardiner“Rings with authenticity.” —John Gilstrap

Well-bred, well-dressed, and well-read, Henrietta, Harriet, and Hero are best friends who have bonded over good books since their schooldays. Now these cultured ladies are ready to make their own happy endings—each in her own way . . .   Lady Henrietta Parker, daughter of the Earl of Blakemoor, has turned down many a suitor for fear that the ton’s bachelors are only interested in her wealth. But despite the warnings of her dearest friends, Harriet and Hero, she can’t resist the challenge rudely posed by her stepsister: transform an ordinary London dockworker into a society gentleman suitable for the “marriage mart.” Only after a handshake seals the deal does Retta fear she may have gone too far . . .   When Jake Bolton is swept from the grime of the seaport into the elegance of Blakemoor House, he appears every inch the rough, cockney working man who is to undergo Retta’s training in etiquette, wardrobe, and elocution. But Jake himself is a master of deception—with much more at stake than a drawing room wager. But will his clandestine mission take second place to his irresistible tutor, her intriguing proposal . . . and true love?

Sins of the past could destroy all of their futures . . . For generations, Quentin Marsh's family has seen its share of tragedy, though he remains skeptical that their misfortunes are tied to a centuries-old curse. But to placate his pregnant sister, Quentin makes the pilgrimage to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, hoping to learn more about the brutal murder of a Shawnee chief in the 1700s. Did one of the Marsh ancestors have a hand in killing the chief -the man who cursed the town with his dying breath? While historian Sarah Sherman doesn't believe in curses either, she's compelled to use her knowledge of Point Pleasant to uncover the long-buried truth. The river town has had its own share of catastrophes, many tied to the legendary Mothman, the winged creature said to haunt the woods. But Quentin's arrival soon reveals that she may have more of a stake than she realized. It seems that she and Quentin possess eerily similar family heirlooms. And the deeper the two of them dig into the past, the more their search enrages the ancient mystical forces surrounding Point Pleasant. As chaos and destruction start to befall residents, can they beat the clock to break the curse before the Mothman takes his ultimate revenge? . . .

"In De'nesha Diamond's explosive series, the fiercest ride-or-die chicks in Memphis are battling alongside-and against-their ruthless men, to be the last diva standing ...On these Dirty South streets, revenge is sweet opportunity. Now the women who help rule the hood are out to take ultimate control. Merciless lieutenant Lucifer drops as many bodies as she can to avenge a devastating shooting and consolidate her new power. Loyal gang member Essence discovers friendship has lethal limits when she falls for her best friend's man. Ever-ambitious Yolanda is angling hard to go from a king hustler's baby mama to his one and only. But Queen G LeShelle will betray any trust and take out any obstacle to make the game hers alone. And when these four women push their vendettas past the point of no return, it's a war only the most deadly diva will survive ... Praise for Hustlin' Divas"A nonstop, hard-hitting page-turner."-Tu-Shonda L. Whitaker "Diamond's ear for street talk comes across loud and clear ... a violent and profane tale, which launches a gritty new series. The divas here are realistic characters, and the pacing zooms . . . one of the best constructed street lit stories of 2010."-Library Journal "

A father charged with treason. A daughter sent to kill him. A shocking conspiracy that changes all the rules of the spy game for a new generation . . . With more than a dozen kills under her belt, ex-Marine Mara Roberts is one of the Agency’s most reliable assassins. But her latest target—a convicted traitor about to be released from prison—is different than her other marks. He’s a former agent who betrayed his country. He’s responsible for the death of Mara’s mother. And he happens to be Mara’s father . . .   Scott Roberts knows that his daughter was sent to kill him. He realizes he has only one chance to change her mind, to convince her that he’s been framed for treason—and that every member of their family are pawns to be sacrificed, one by one. Mara isn’t sure she can trust her father. He is a master of manipulation, as ruthless as he is resourceful. But when her nephew is abducted, she agrees to follow Scott’s lead and expose the global elites who are pulling the strings. But first, they must infiltrate the highest levels of power. Then, they must attempt the unthinkable: Kidnap the President of the United States . . .   “A brilliantly written thriller. Breakneck twists, political intrigue and bristling action scenes—Jeff Gunhus writes with a gripping and gritty authority.” —Simon Gervais, author of Hunt Them Down

Matchmaking can be murder . . .    When widowed Millie Fisher moves back to her childhood home of Harvest, Ohio, she notices one thing right away—the young Amish are bungling their courtships and marrying the wrong people! A quiltmaker by trade, Millie has nevertheless stitched together a few lives in her time, with truly romantic results. Her first mission? Her own niece, widowed gardener Edith Hochstetler, recently engaged to rude, greedy Zeke Miller. Anyone can see he’s not right for such a gentle young woman—except Edith herself.   Pleased when she convinces the bride-to-be to leave her betrothed before the wedding, Millie is later panicked to find Zeke in Edith’s greenhouse—as dead as a tulip in the middle of winter. To keep her niece out of prison—and to protect her own reputation—Millie will have to piece together a patchwork of clues to find a killer, before she becomes the next name on his list . . .   Praise for Amanda Flower and her Amish cozies   “As it turns out, Amanda Flower may have just written the first Amish rom com.” —USA Today   “Flower has hit it out of the ballpark . . . and continues to amaze with her knowledge of the Amish way of life.” —RT Book Reviews   “At turns playful and engaging . . . a satisfyingly complex cozy.” —Library Journal

A Cape Cod shop owner and her book club must find a crafty killer in this charming new series from the Agatha-nominated author of the Country Store Mystery series.   Summer is busy season for Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida’s bicycle shop, nestled in the quaint, seaside hamlet of Westham, Massachusetts. She’s expecting an influx of tourists at Mac’s Bikes; instead she discovers the body of Jake Lacey. Mac can’t imagine anyone stabbing the down-on-his-luck handyman. However, the authorities seem to think Mac is a strong suspect after she was spotted arguing with Jake just hours before his death. Mac knows she didn’t do it, but she does recognize the weapon—her brother Derrick’s fishing knife.   Mac’s only experience with murder investigations is limited to the cozy mysteries she reads with her local book group, the Cozy Capers. So to clear her name—and maybe her brother’s too—Mac will have to summon help from her Cozy Capers co-investigators and a library’s worth of detectives’ tips and tricks. For a small town, Westham is teeming with possible killers, and this is one mystery where Mac is hoping for anything but a surprise ending…

From the author of The Astonishing Thing and Something Worth Saving comes a tender, wise, and insightful novel of a family cat, a second chance, and the love that persists through the deepest heartache . . .   They say that cats don’t like change. But Luna, an imaginative tabby, understands that sometimes it’s necessary. When her owner, Annika, moved back to her small New England hometown six months ago along with her sixteen-year-old twins, Luna knew it was for the best. Ever since Annika’s husband, Peter, died suddenly, the family has been floundering. Luna, too, is guilt-ridden, sure she could have done more to save her favorite person. Luna also knows something the others don’t know. Peter’s spirit is still with them, and Luna believes there is something he needs her help to do . . .   Annika has been struggling to move on. It doesn’t help that her son, Donovan, blames her for his father’s death. Peter always told Annika that they had the best love story going, yet the fact is that much of their story has been hidden away, even from their children. When Annika’s first love, Sam, arrives to plow them out during an intensifying storm, the truth begins to emerge at last. And Luna—watchful and unwavering in her affection—may be her family’s best hope of learning how to forgive and to heal . . .    Praise for Sandi Ward’s Something Worth Saving   “Told with empathy and hope, this would be a perfect gift for cat lovers or anyone who enjoys a fresh take on the family drama.”—Booklist

They were born in the shadows. Schooled in espionage. Taught to kill and trained to disappear. In this captivating masterwork from bestselling author Taylor Stevens, elusive twins Jack and Jill take the global spy game to electric levels.   The assassin broker is dead. The power void has left the network he controlled without restraints, and the world’s deadliest killers free to pursue their own vendettas and political agendas. The United States government, unwilling to risk upheaval and global chaos, has mobilized killers of its own to preemptively hunt down and destroy each potential threat.   Among the most dangerous on that list are Jack and Jill.   Often estranged—always connected by a legacy they can’t escape—the siblings have eluded many who want them dead. As they board a flight to Berlin hoping to meet the father they’ve never known, they suspect a trap. What they can’t predict is how far a high-level Russian operation will go to secure their skills, or how hard the U.S. operatives sent to stop them will fight to assassinate them first.    For the twins, resistance and cooperation both mean death.   Caught between two superpowers with unlimited resources and unable to trust each other, brother and sister will match wit against skill in a life-threatening chase across Europe, back to the United States, and into an unholy alliance that could change the balance of global power forever.   Filled with pulse-pounding tension, blistering action, and intense human drama, Liars’ Legacy is world-class intrigue at its best.

Early October is “winding down” time in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but there’s nothing relaxing about it for Julia Snowden. Between busloads of weekend leaf peepers at the Snowden Family Clambake and a gut renovation of the old mansion on Morrow Island, she’s keeping it all together with a potentially volatile skeleton crew—until one of them turns up dead under the firewood.   When the Russian demo team clearing out the mansion discovers a room that’s been sealed off for decades, Julia’s baffled as to its purpose and what secrets it might have held. Tensions are already simmering with the crew, but when one of the workers is found murdered, things come to a boil. With the discovery of another body—and a mysterious diary with Cyrillic text in the hidden room—the pressure’s on Julia to dig up a real killer fast. But she’ll have to sort through a pile of suspects, including ex-spouses, a spurned lover, and a recently released prisoner, to fish out one clammed-up killer.  Praise for Steamed Open   “Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fictionalized version of Boothbay Harbor with amiable characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

In the latest novel in Virginia Wise’s stirring historical saga about America''s first Amish settlement, a once-privileged woman in a very different new world soon finds that hope—and love—are worth the challenge . . .   Scandal drove Catrina Witmer from her life as a wealthy Englischer''s pampered daughter—to reluctant membership in Pennsylvania’s thriving new Amish settlement. Surprisingly, Catrina finds contentment and peace in this promising new land, though she won''t risk telling anyone about her past. But the unexpected sparks between her and bashful warm-hearted farmer Eli Webber suddenly have her dreaming of an impossible chance at happiness—as his wife.   Eli never imagined such a spirited woman would look his way. Or that he could ever deserve her, given his own guilty mistakes. But Catrina''s vivacity and kindness have him impulsively proposing. Unfortunately, his over-righteous sister, and the consequences of secrets on both sides, threaten to tear their marriage apart for good. Now Catrina and Eli must try forgiving themselves and finding strength in their bond if they are to have a joyous future together . . .   ALSO IN THE AMISH NEW WORLD SERIESWHERE THE HEART TAKES YOU   “Where the Heart Takes You will resonate with readers who love historical Amish fiction. Memorable story lines and engaging characters will capture the attention, delivering a reading experience that will live on in the heart and mind.” —Laura V. Hilton, author of Firestorm

New York Times bestselling author Hannah Howell breathes life into the enchanting beauty of the Scottish Highlands in this epic romance between a strong-willed captor and the striking young woman he both confines and protects . . .   The windswept Scottish Highlands hold great beauty, but also great danger. So when Aimil Mengue is abducted by a feuding clan, she is right to fear for her life—and her virtue. For Aimil’s keeper is the infamous warrior Parlan MacGuin. Aimil sets out to hate him, but Parlan is more honorable—and infinitely more alluring—than expected. Though betrothed to another, Aimil cannot deny her startling desire for the man who holds her captive...   Parlan MacGuin knows well his reputation as a fierce warrior; he uses it to claim land and lovers. But beautiful Aimil is a different type of conquest. Now Parlan feels an unfamiliar longing for the woman he keeps at ransom as their forbidden passion threatens to spark an unstoppable blood feud—or forever fill their hearts . . .

TIME TO MEET THE WIDOWMAKER   Vulture City is home to a prosperous gold mine and every bad man in the Arizona Territory knows it. Nearly every stagecoach attempting to deliver the gold to the railroad at Maricopa has been ambushed on the trail—a trail known as the Gunpowder Express for the bullet-riddled bodies along the way.   With gold piling up and a lack of volunteers to transport it, the mine owner hires Newt “Widowmaker” Jones to ride shotgun on the next stage. Foolhardy and desperate for money, Newt joins three other guards—and a passenger, Jenny Silks, a stubborn firebrand with her own stake in seeing the delivery through. But waiting on the Gunpowder Express is Irish Jack O’Harrigan and his band of outlaws. There’s not a soul alive he wouldn’t think twice about putting six feet under. But he’s never traded lead with the man known as Widowmaker . . .   Praise for Spur Award winner Brett Cogburn   “Fans of frontier arcana will revel in Cogburn’s readable prose and lively characters.” —Publishers Weekly on Rooster   “Cogburn amazes and astounds.” —Booklist

Samantha Miller didn''t have an easy start. Molested as a child and subsequently forced into prostitution by her drug-addicted mother, Samantha learned at an early age that men were not to be trusted. Being constantly preyed upon taught her to be a predator. Her target was women¾ straight or married. As the headliner at a local strip club, Samantha capitalizes on the gifts she was cursed with. In turn, her life quickly spirals down a dangerous path of violence, seduction, and exploitation. When Sasha is brought on as the new bartender, she becomes Samantha''s newest target. The last thing Samantha anticipated was falling in love. When tragedy strikes, what was once a challenge may prove to be her downfall. Can Samantha heal from her abusive past, or will she always be Wounded?

After almost dying at the hands of her sister, Renee has made the dangerous decision to step down and give Carmen her empire to chase after happiness. The ice queen has finally melted, and the people closest to her are not happy with her transformation. When the road to happiness turns jagged and secrets are uncovered, Renee is forced to make decisions that can alter everyone’s lives.   Ride with Brandie Davis again as she brings you back into the life of a ruthless New York queenpin longing for a way to escape the mayhem of the streets she once ruled.