Karen Kingsbury True Crime Novels


Book Description

Four chilling true crime novels by a #1 New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter. Final Vows: Murder, Madness, and Twisted Justice in California When Carol Montecalvo began writing to a man in prison named Dan through a program at her church, she considered it her Christian duty. She had no idea it would lead to love and marriage—and her murder . . . Deadly Pretender:The Double Life of David Miller When a man’s dream job and beautiful family weren’t enough for him, he pretended to be an attorney, then a CIA agent. And he secretly married another woman. He juggled it all quite well—until the day his two wives found out about each other . . . The Snake and the Spider:Abduction and Murder in Daytona Beach A dream Spring Break vacation for two innocent, young men became every parent’s worst nightmare when they met two cold-blooded killers . . . Missy’s Murder:Passion, Betrayal, and Murder in Southern California Teenager Missy Avila was lured into the woods, beaten, tortured, and drowned. Missy’s best friend, Karen Severson, publicly vowed to find the killer and even moved in with Missy’s family to help. Three years later, a surprise witness exposed the murderers as Missy’s two best friends—one of whom was Karen . . .




Deadly Pretender


Book Description

A New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter’s account of a con artist and bigamist who resorts to murder to hide his double life. David Miller had a dream job and a beautiful family. But one perfect life wasn’t enough. So he pretended to be an attorney, then a CIA agent. And he secretly married another woman. He juggled it all quite well—until the day his two wives found out about each other. Miller groped for ways to hold on to his finances and reputation. But when he tried using a gun to silence his second wife, his carefully constructed facade of power and wealth exploded. In Deadly Pretender, New York Times–bestselling author Karen Kingsbury dives into the tangled world of deceit, greed, and lust to reveal what drove a seemingly upright citizen to live a double life, and then, to commit the unthinkable.




Final Vows


Book Description

A New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter chronicles the marriage between a Christian woman and an ex-con that ends in murder. When Carol Montecalvo began writing to a man in prison through a program at her church, she considered it her Christian duty. But the letters soon became her lifeline, something she actually looked forward to sending and receiving. She fell in love with the man behind the letters and just before Dan was released, they wed in the prison chapel. Their marriage lasted nine years, until the fateful night when Dan stoically called 911 to report his wife’s murder. With a half-million dollar insurance policy riding on his wife’s death, and a string of adulterous affairs in his past, Dan is the most obvious suspect. But is this former felon really guilty? Or could he actually be a grieving widower, in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this powerful true crime account of the gruesome murder and sensational trial that followed, New York Times–bestselling author Karen Kingsbury weaves an emotional story that leaves readers guessing until the final, harrowing conclusion.




Remember Tuesday Morning


Book Description

A wall went up around Alex Brady’s heart when his father, a New York firefighter, died in the Twin Towers. Turning his back on the only woman he ever loved, Alex shut out all the people who cared about him to concentrate on fighting crime. He and his trusty K9 partner, Bo, are determined to eliminate evil in the world and prevent tragedies like 9-11. Then the worst fire season in California’s history erupts, and Alex faces the ultimate challenge to protect the community he serves. An environmental terrorist group is targeting the plush Oak Canyon Estates. At the risk of losing his job, and his soul, Alex is determined to infiltrate the group and put an end to their corruption. Only the friendship of Clay and Jamie Michaels—and the love of a dedicated young woman—can help Alex drop the walls around his heart and move forward into the future God has for him.




Missy's Murder


Book Description

From a New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter, two teens kill their friend, then befriend the girl’s family to avoid suspicion. On a beautiful October day in the San Fernando Valley, teenager Missy Avila was lured into the woods, beaten, tortured, and drowned. Missy’s best friend, Karen Severson, publicly vowed to find the killer and even moved in with Missy’s family to help. Three years later, a surprise witness exposed the murderers as Missy’s two best friends—one of whom was Karen. New York Times–bestselling author Karen Kingsbury delivers a story full of twists, turns, betrayals, and confessions. Missy’s Murder is a shocking tale of one of the most notorious murder trials of the eighties, and a startling debut novel from Kingsbury, who now has over twenty-five million books in print.




The Baxters


Book Description

On Kari Baxter's wedding day, a building storm brings conflict and doubt to the family until a moment of danger reveals important truths, which could bring them back together or tear them apart.




A Distant Shore


Book Description

The #1 New York Times bestselling author and “inspirational fiction superstar” (Publishers Weekly) presents this high stakes love story of danger, passion, and faith. She was a child caught in a riptide in the Caribbean Sea. He was a teenager from the East Coast on vacation with his family. He dove in to save her, and that single terrifying moment changed both of their lives forever. Ten years later Jack Ryder is a daring undercover agent with the FBI and Eliza Lawrence still lives on that pristine island. She’s an untainted princess in a kingdom of darkness and evil, on the brink of a forced marriage with a dangerous neighboring drug lord, a marriage arranged by her father. This time when Jack and Eliza meet, there’s a connection neither of them can explain. Both of their lives are on the line, and once again, the stakes are deadly high. Can they join forces in a complicated and dangerous mission, pretending to have a breathtaking love…without really falling? Sometimes miracles happen not once, but twice…along a distant shore.




Love Story


Book Description

The instant New York Times bestseller featuring everyone’s favorite family—the Baxters—in a deeply emotional novel “faithful fans will no doubt relish” (Publishers Weekly). When John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with his wife Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage school project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great—after a storybook romance that lasted almost thirty years, beginning when the two were in college, Elizabeth tragically died of cancer. But John can’t say no to his grandson and in the process of telling his love story, he finally allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together… Cole’s report on his grandparents touches the hearts of the entire family—and causes Cole to better understand his own beginning. Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.




When Joy Came to Stay


Book Description

Maggie Stovall is trapped inside a person she’s spent years carefully crafting. Now the truth about who she is—and what she’s done—is bursting to the surface and sending Maggie into a spiral of despair. Will she walk away from everything, or can Maggie allow God to take her to a place of ultimate honesty—before it’s too late? Maggie Stovall. One of the golden people. She has it all together. At least on the surface… Ben Stovall. Godly husband. Successful attorney. Has no idea of the darkness about to overtake his life… Amanda Joy. Child of society. Abused, broken, thrown away. But her trust in God is still alive… When Joy Came to Stay is the heart-wrenching story of one woman’s descent into the shadows of depression, her husband’s search for understanding, and a precious child’s unwavering faith. "Kingsbury’s poignant tale of a lost and broken family and how they experience God’s miraculous healing is a sure guarantee to bring hope and joy to her readers." —Melody Carlson, bestselling author, Diary of a Teenage Girl series "A thought-provoking account of the battle of depression in a believer’s life. It leaves no doubt that God is loving, merciful, and faithful." —Nancy Moser, author, The Mustard Seed series Story Behind the Book “Each of my novels is a piece of my heart. Where Yesterday Lives was my first-ever novel, and as such it is somewhat autobiographical. The childhood story of Ellen Barrett, her love for her parents and siblings, is my story—though her current story and struggles are fictional. On Every Side sheds light on the struggle for religious freedom in today’s climate; something I am passionate about. Finally, When Joy Came to Stay is the story of one woman’s battle against depression and the secrets of her past.” —Karen Kingsbury




When We Were Young


Book Description

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a classic story about second chances, featuring the beloved Baxter family and a young father who finds his whole world turned upside down on the eve of his divorce. What if you could see into the future and know what will happen tomorrow, if you really walk out that door today. Pay attention. Life is not a dress rehearsal. From their first meeting, to their stunning engagement and lavish wedding, to their happily-ever-after, Noah and Emily Carter seemed meant to be. They have a special kind of love—and they want the world to know. More than a million adoring fans have followed their lives on Instagram since the day Noah publicly proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully staged photos and encouraging posts, their life is anything but a fairytale, and Noah’s obsession with social media has ruined everything. Distraught, Emily reaches out to her friend Kari Baxter Taylor and tells her the truth: Noah and Emily have decided to call it quits. He is leaving in the morning. But when Noah wakes the next day, everything is different. Emily is gone and the kids are years older. Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, bizarre and strange events continue throughout the night so that Noah is certain he’s twenty years older, and he is desperate for a second chance. Now it would take a miracle to return to yesterday. When We Were Young is a rare and beautiful love story that takes place in a single day. It’s about knowing what tomorrow will bring if you really walk out that door today—and the gift of being able to choose differently.