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Dying for Dinner Rolls
Lois Lavrisa, Kindle Bestselling, Award Wining Author of LIQUID LIES
Dinner Gets Deadly in “Dying For Dinner Rolls”.
She’s been held at gunpoint, stuck in a burning dumpster, chased out of a grocery store, caught impersonating a police officer and almost run over by a wayward vehicle. How is that for a first day on the job as an amateur sleuth? Along with her friend Annie Mae, Cat investigates the brick-paved, oak-lined streets of Savannah to find their friend’s murderer. To say the very least, it is not smooth sailing for these self appointed detectives. Will they catch the killer before the killer gets them? Or will their first case be their last?
Find out in the first volume of the Chubby Chicks Club mystery series, Dying for Dinner Rolls which combines mystery, suspense, humor, and southern charm.
Dangerous Habits
A dead nun, a smart reporter, a stunning climax.
Equal parts smart and smartass, reporter Leah Nash is rarely at a loss for words. But when she receives a cryptic message from a nun asking for help, just hours after the woman’s body is pulled from the river, Leah is stunned.
The dead woman was on staff at DeMoss Academy, a residential school for troubled kids run by an order of Catholic nuns. Leah’s self-destructive younger sister Lacey had died there five years earlier.
The nun’s note and an old newspaper clipping attached to it propel Leah into a search for the truth about her sister’s “accidental” death. But it’s a mystery no one wants her to pursue. Not her publisher, who orders her to stop making waves. Not the director of DeMoss Academy, who’s concerned about the school’s reputation. Certainly not the politician’s wife worried about Lacey’s connection to her husband.
As Leah starts closing in on the real story behind her sister’s death, someone starts closing in on her. And just when she’s got it all figured out, a shocking revelation changes everything.
Bloody Mary – A Thriller
Stir in a psychopath littering the city with body parts. Mix with equal parts humor and suspense, and enjoy Bloody Mary–the second novel in the funny, frightening world of Lieutenant Jacqueline “Jack” Daniels.
Join Jack as she struggles to repair her train wreck of a personal life while tracking down and convicting one of the scariest serial killers in recent memory–a killer for whom getting caught is only the beginning…
Lt. Jacqueline Daniels is going through something of a mid-life crisis. Surrounded by friends and co-workers who mean well but who have the same kind of troubles, the last thing she needs is a crazed, limb-severing killer in town. And to make matters worse, the clues being left at the crime scenes are objects that once belonged to Daniels. The only thing more shocking and surprising is the identity of the killer.
It looks like the crime is solved at one point, but then the legal system inserts it twist on the trial, expert witnesses get led down a merry path, and Daniels watches as everything falls apart around her.
Konrath has masterfully written this sometimes gory tale in a way that leaves the reader as mystified in the beginning as the characters in the story. With a breathtaking ending, followed by a heartfelt decision or two from Daniels, this book provides as satisfying a read as any book can. Get it as soon as you can.
Sarah Woods Mystery Series
This three pack volume set features:
(Books 4-6)
A Taste of Sin (Book 4)
Shattered trust, sex tapes, and tainted libations ratchet up the stakes in A Taste of Sin. This fourth installment of the Sarah Woods Mystery Series finds Sarah engrossed in an emotional case involving a dying wife and a husband suspected of speeding her demise. Already ensconced in another case, the budding sleuth must help determine the relationship’s true nature before it reaches a tragic end.
The Masque of Innocence (Book 5)
Obsession, greed, and indecent exposure…
When the high-profile wife of an investment banker goes missing, local authorities team up with Sarah Woods and her partner Carter to solve the crime. The pair must track down a list of suspects including an abusive husband, a stalker, and a mysterious guest at a masquerade ball. Will Sarah uncover the truth behind the disappearance, or will coincidence and circumstance convince her to pursue a masque of Innocence?
The Art of Duplicity (Book 6)
Art, conspiracy, and murder …
When respected gallery owner Glenn Fleming is shot during a robbery, the thief makes off with valuable artwork and vanishes without a trace. To the cops, it looks like a robbery gone sour, but with no suspects or evidence the case goes cold. Reeling from the death of her husband and lack of answers, Elizabeth seeks the help of local private investigators Sarah and Carter. As the case gets under way, it becomes apparent that Glenn’s death was no accident. Sarah must follow her instincts to uncover the truth about a conspiracy that involves the art community, a notoriously dangerous bookie named Dunk, and a dark secret from Glenn’s past.
The Inconvenient Corpse
If you like bed and breakfast settings, friendly cats, delightful, quirky characters and a little tea thrown in with your murder, you’ll love The Inconvenient Corpse.
—Bob Avey, author of Beneath a Buried House and Twisted Perception
Raining Men and Corpses: A Chinese Cozy Mystery
For readers who like cozy mysteries, quirky characters, and a dash of humor.
First, she finds the dead body of an ex-lover and becomes the prime suspect to his murder. The only man she ever loved reappears as the lead detective to the case and wants to reignite their passion (or at least he’s sending out smoke signals).
Her life careens out of control as her grandma moves into Raina’s postage-stamp-sized apartment, dragging a red suitcase and trouble. As Raina summons her sleuthing skills, she discovers there’s no place for an amateur when it comes to murder.
Raina Sun Mystery series
Raining Men and Corpses
Gusty Lovers and Cadavers
Breezy Friends and Bodies
Balmy Darlings and Deaths
The Burnside Mystery Series, Boxed Set
POST PATTERN (Book 1):
On a dark Los Angeles freeway, someone fires a gunshot at a local football star.
His family turns to Private Investigator Burnside, a former football star himself, who has recently left the LAPD. As he battles his way through the investigation, Burnside’s own life is repeatedly placed in jeopardy, and the body count starts to pile up.
Burnside encounters beautiful girls, wayward athletes and overworked cops on his way toward finding a killer who knows he’s looking for them. And as he navigates this perilous path, Burnside also comes to grips with a betrayal from his past, one that keeps returning to him, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it.
Set against the sun drenched backdrop of a hot Los Angeles summer, Post Pattern provides readers with an engaging, action-packed story. The novel delivers a smart, sexy plot with crackling dialogue and fascinating characters.
FADE ROUTE (Book 2):
A candidate for mayor has been murdered and there’s one obvious suspect.
But Burnside, the former football star turned private investigator, pushes forward into a harrowing investigation that reveals more and more possible culprits, all with their own motives. As the action intensifies, Burnside himself becomes embroiled in a case which goes beyond just one murder. And when the police suspect he’s a person of interest, Burnside must race against time to find the killer.
With little more to go on than his gut feeling, Burnside pokes at everything around him. Desperately trying to untangle a web of deceit that threatens to destroy him personally, he is also faced with a scenario that could take down an entire community..
BUBBLE SCREEN (Book 3):
It starts with some missing warehouse inventory, but the case quickly moves beyond simple larceny. And when theft turns to murder, the stakes rise dramatically, and the action intensifies.
The story leads Private Investigator Burnside onto the trail of some people who will do anything to acquire money — and they will use any means necessary to keep it. And as he plunges into the investigation, Burnside also has to make a life altering decision about his own future.
Interweaving the world of business with the world of football, Bubble Screen is set in the heart of Los Angeles. It is a captivating thrill ride that combines fascinating characters, wry humor, and an explosive ending that is both stunning and unexpected.
Schooled in Deception: A Michael Bishop Mystery
Pucci has an appealing style. The plotlines are never rushed, but steadily pull you in ever deeper. In Schooled, the theme of masks was thought-provoking. He writes with a purpose to not only to tell a story, but maybe to make you remember some things you once knew and somehow managed to forget.
Here’s hoping we see more Michael Bishop mysteries…and here’s hoping we get to read more Anthony Pucci.
The Girl from the Sea
A chilling suspense story of wounded hearts and dark secrets.
Washed up on the beach, she can’t remember who she is. She can’t even remember her name. Turns out, she has a perfect life – friends and family eager to fill in the blanks.
But why are they lying to her? What don’t they want her to remember?
When you don’t even know who you are, how do you know who to trust?
The Mascherari: A Novel of Venice
Venezia, 1422. Doge Tommaso Mocenigo is on his death bed. An evil has come to Venice. An evil that will set the course for the future of La Serenissima.
On the eve of Carnivale, five wealthy Venetian merchants set upon a mask maker in the ancient district of Santa Croce. They are led by a patrician of ruthless means named Giacomo Contarini.
The following day, the Venice Republic’s security council, the most feared Council of Ten, summons the Florentine inquisitor, Antonio da Parma, to hold an inquest on a most baffling case. During a sumptuous banquet, four of the merchants, including Giacomo Contarini, have met a chilling death.
Newly widowed and fresh from Florence, Antonio da Parma’s reputation precedes him. He is known for his susceptibility to the occult and is sternly warned that The Council of Ten want none of that. Yet in the throes of this macabre investigation, Antonio da Parma soon finds himself lured by his dreams and visions and by the mysterious silver pendant that he discovers on one of the dead merchants.
Enter the dashing Esteban dell Valle, a formidable Dardi-trained swordmaster of Nubian origins. Esteban grieves his stolen inheritance and the death of his Catalan adopted father. He survives, mysteriously, through the influence of high ranking patricians. He never removes his mask and has sworn to reclaim his wealth.
Noble Catarina Contarini has a sad tale to tell. Her husband’s death weighs upon her and so too, do the scandalous accusations that have been made against him. In her grief, she confides in Antonio da Parma and reveals her shocking secrets. But Catarina’s darkest secret concerns a witch; a Napoletana named Magdalena.
Despite himself, Antonio da Parma is drawn ever closer to the magnetic Magdalena. He unveils the truth behind the merchants’ murders and comes face to face with a machination of monstrous evil.
Through this fascinating Magdalena, an enchanter of admirals and merchants alike, Antonio begins to realize that his true quest is one he could never have imagined.
Miranda Warning
But when an anonymous warning note shows up in her best friend Miranda’s mailbox—a note written in a dead woman’s handwriting—Tess quickly discovers that ghosts are alive and well in Buckneck, West Virginia. Hot on a cold trail, she must use limited clues and her keen insight into human nature to unmask the killer…or the next victim might be Tess herself.
Tinged with the supernatural and overshadowed by the mountains’ lush, protective presence, this twisting psychological mystery is the first in A Murder in the Mountains series.
This novel is written from a Christian worldview.
“Miranda Warning is a captivating read that grabs you by the hand and jerks you along…An intricately woven plot kept revealing bits of the puzzle while continuing to build the suspense and danger. Thomas and Tess were perfect for each other; the author certainly captured the realism of marriage, the good and bad…it was endearing to see how the entire Spencer family interacted. Miranda Warning was a page-turner for me, and I can only hope Heather Day Gilbert is working on the next installment in the Murder in the Mountains Series.” ~ 5 Star Review from Brenda Casto for Readers’ Favorite, Aug. 2014
“The perfect blend of spine-chilling suspense and cozy mountain mystery, Miranda Warning is that rare novel that has it all: a unique setting, rich characters, and a plot so riveting you can’t look away. Best of all, it has Tess Spencer, a tough young heroine with a tender heart for those she loves and sense enough to pack a Glock when she needs to.” ~Karin Kaufman, author of The Witch Tree, a 2011 Grace Award finalist.
2015 WINNER USA Best Book Award, Cross Genre Fiction
A heartfelt and hilarious mystery from this bestselling and award-winning author of the What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mystery series.
When a dead body swan-dives from a balcony into the pool at a wedding, gossip comes to a halt about disgraced paralegal and former rodeo queen Emily—whose husband left her for a woman who turns out to be a man. Enter Jack, a secretive attorney and sexy mix of cowboy and Indian. She refuses to work for him, until she learns about the disappearance of the six-year old daughter of his notorious client Sofia, the wedding shooter, who is also an illegal immigrant. Emily feels a strange affinity with the girl and launches a desperate search for her. Bodies pile up in her wake across Texas and New Mexico as the walls around her own secrets begin to crumble, and the authorities question whether the child is anything but a figment of her imagination.
See why Pamela’s novels have won contest after contest.
- 2015 USA Best Book Award Winner (Fiction: Cross Genre: WINNER)
- 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Romance, Quarter-finalist
- 2014 USA Best Book Award Winner (Fiction: Cross Genre: Finalist)
- 2012 Winner of the Houston Writers Guild Ghost Story Contest
- 2011 Winner of the Houston Writers Guild Mainstream Novel Contest
- 2010 Winner of the Writers League of Texas Romance Contest
˃˃˃ Once Upon A Romance calls Hutchins an “up-and-coming powerhouse writer.”
If you like Sandra Brown or Janet Evanovich, you’re going to love Pamela Fagan Hutchins. A former attorney and native Texan from Amarillo who spent ten years in the Caribbean, Pamela splits her time between Houston and a little place called Nowheresville.
˃˃˃ The reviews are in and they’re good. Very, very good.
“Grabs you by the throat from the get-go for a suspenseful, rollicking ride.” — Ken Oder, author of The Closing
“Full of heart, humor, vivid characters, and suspense. Hutchins has done it again!” — Gay Yellen, author of The Body Business
“Hutchins is a master of tension.” — R.L. Nolen, author of Deadly Thyme
“Intriguing mystery . . . captivating romance.” — Patricia Flaherty Pagan, author of Trail Ways Pilgrims
“In my book . . . the makings of a great novel: cheating husbands, murder, and hot cowboys.” — Melissa Algood, contributing author, Eclectically Criminal
˃˃˃ Check out the entire What Doesn’t Kill You romantic mystery series.
STOLEN
Book Review
READER’S FAVORITE GOLD WINNER 2015
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers’ Favorite
Stolen is a mystery by Dawn Kopman Whidden. When hunters find male victims with gunshot wounds and two traumatised children at a remote cabin, homicide detectives Jean Whitley and her partner Marty Keal are shocked by the things their investigation uncovers. One of the victims was a known pedophile and the other man is his son, Troy, who’s in a critical condition. What’s even more puzzling are the children’s behavior and lack of positive identities. One of the children is a boy with a name tag “Tristan,” who’s unable to speak. Evidence found at the cabin reveals children were abducted from their families and abused. This hits close to home as detective Keal remembers a missing boy from his childhood days. The investigation takes an unusual direction when Troy’s brother, Shane, lurks in the shadows, determined to take his brother and Tristan away from the authorities.
Stolen is a suspenseful mystery, and Dawn Kopman Whidden aroused my curiosity with its great beginning. The story is interesting, realistic and a bit emotional due to the chilling nature of the plot. I like the author’s eye for details, and I think she writes an insightful account of what victims and their families could possibly experience, if faced with this horror. Dawn Kopman Whidden nicely extracts the confusing emotions and thoughts of the characters, and they were convincing in a natural surrounding. Her writing form is fluent and unforced, and I am very impressed with the creative abilities of this author.
Scraps of Paper
“Scraps of Paper is a well-constructed mystery with just the right mix of good guys and bad guys, with a sprinkling of oddballs and misfits thrown in. Kathryn Meyer Griffin does a nice job of allowing the friendship of the book’s two main characters to develop as the story progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good who-done-it, set in a picturesque environment with believable characters. This is the first book in a series the author calls ‘The Spookie Town Mysteries’.” 5 Stars Reviewed by Michael McManus for Readers’ Favorite May 17, 2013 (Second in the series: ALL THINGS SLIP AWAY)
Snippet of NOVELSPOT Review for Scraps of Paper:
“The premise behind this story intrigued me. Old houses have their own history-bad and good. What would you do if, while you were renovating an old house, you found an intriguing mystery, even if it was years old? If you had a chance of solving that mystery, would you? Or would you leave it buried in the past? Would you want someone digging in your past, your tragedies? If someone you loved just disappeared, what would you do?
Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Scraps of Paper is an engaging story of what happens when you go digging into the past and the possible consequences. It also has an underlying story about dealing with what life hands you and finding the strength to move on. Both Frank and Abby are strong characters they have had to deal with the loss of a loved one and to learn to deal with that loss. You find yourself drawn to them and to all the quirky people who live in the little town of Spookie. In the end you want to know what happened in the old house so many years earlier. I’ll be looking forward to more books about this quaint little town.”
Reviewed By Theresa at NOVELSPOT © March 2006 (9 out of 10 rating)
*****
Abigail Sutton’s beloved husband walks out one night, doesn’t return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of an earlier crime. It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.
Starting her new life, Abigail moves to a small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.
But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.
Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer. ***
Halversham
An unexpected turn of events leads Andrew J. Monaghan to some shocking revelations when he escapes the city for a quiet summer. There is more to this story set in the small town of Halversham than adventure and intrigue, so prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster ride as Andy revisits his relationship with people important to him, including the tumultuous one he has with his father.
With his mother dead and his father jetting off on yet another business trip, fifteen-year-old Andy Monaghan can’t stand the thought of spending summer alone in the city. Instead, he seeks a few weeks of solace in the place his mother loved the most: the rural town of Halversham where his father was raised.
No sooner does Andy arrive in Halversham than he hears of strange incidents occurring in town, including a few too close for comfort. Before long, Andy is reluctantly reeled into a chain of events that quickly darken the rose-colored glasses he’s been wearing for his mother’s beloved country getaway.
Finding out who’s responsible for Halversham’s many tragedies becomes Andy’s main priority. As he reconnects with his father’s family and dives deeper into the mysteries surrounding the town, he finds that even his own may not be safe from trouble. Is he willing to risk everything to uncover the truth of Halversham’s dark secrets, and protect the people he loves?
Perfect summer read and gift this Father’s Day!
What others are saying about Halversham:
Holy cow, this book completely flipped me around. I don’t even know what to say to stop myself from spoiling anything.
Kailei from commonbooksense.blogspot.my
Readers will be pulled to the edge of their seats as they watch how far Andy will go to find out the answers to the questions he discovers. At the same time, they will be tempted to wonder whether or how they might do the same. They will savor this taste of small town mystery like a slip of 90-percent-pure dark chocolate.
Vincent from Veereads.com
A Charming Crime: Book One
Bubble… Bubble…
June Heal has nothing to lose when she relocates her homeopathic cure shop, A Dose of Darla, from the flea market booth in her home town, to a quaint shop in the cozy but unusual little town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. Or so it seems.
Cures and trouble…
Whispering Falls has a lot of secrets. From talking snow globes to whispering animals not to mention a few sprinkles of fairy dust, June realizes Whispering Falls is more magical than she thought. . .literally.
Magic stirs…
June discovers she was born into a family of psychics, and her homeopathic cures truly are magical. Unfortunately, they are not magical enough to save her from being the number one murder suspect when a member of the community that she had just had a disagreement with shows up face down in the lake with June’s lucky charm in the victim’s grasp.
And troubles double…
Add to that an attraction to her high school best friend, Sheriff Oscar Park and Mr. Prince Charming, her cat, is stealing charms from Belle’s Baubles, June is forced to clear her name in more ways than murder. After all, they don’t have cauldrons in jail.
A Charming Crime is book one of the bestselling Magical Cures Mystery series. Come walk around Whispering Falls for a fun, fantasy mystery with magic and romance. You won’t want to leave.
The Last Will and Testament of Ernie Politics: A California Crime Novel
Trust No One…
The LAPD has no interest in wasting time and manpower on the random death of one homeless man, so Ray Cobb, Ernie’s best friend, decides to investigate the crime and solve the mystery for himself.
Finding a cryptic note Ernie scrawled days before his death, Ray realizes that Ernie’s crazy ravings and irrational writings may contain hidden clues about the identity of his killer.
Ray’s quest for vigilante justice pulls him deep into the dangerous underworld of the Los Angeles streets, leading him to discover a vagrant underground railroad, a poker game where the stakes are one’s life, and a political conspiracy that entangles him with a LAPD cold case detective.
Ray uncovers more about Ernie than he expects to and learns when you live on the streets, the only person you can trust is yourself.
The Last Will and Testament of Ernie Politics is the first volume of Brad Grusnick’s Vagrant Mystery Series, a modern noir exploring the underbelly of Los Angeles. Don’t miss Book 2 in the series, The Last Dance of Low Seward.
Off The Grid
Threatened by a secret that could destroy him and any chance of revenge, Luke sets off to find the true origins of this obscure technology, but discovers a vast deception that will change the world forever.
“This book is a combination of a thriller / science fiction / post-apocalyptic fiction that kept you engaged throughout the book. Without having a spoiler, the main premise is a new technology that transmits electricity wirelessly (vs. the current technology of transmission lines) and the effort to break the monopoly by those negatively impacted by this advancement as their community has been locked out of the electric transmission grid and have started reverting back to the past technologically. The author paints a believable scenario of the future that I could envision. . . . If you like a futuristic tale that reads like a thriller, I would recommend this one.”
-Michael G, Hall of Fame Top 50 Vine Voice Reviewer
“Off The Grid is a very detailed yet fast paced action book with a backdrop of technology. Almost instantly the characters and the setting brings you in and it is hard to put the book down.”-Bryan C, Goodreads review
“Off the Grid is an interesting and compelling read both for mystery fans and electric power industry veterans.”
-Vito Longo, Tech Editor, T&D World
Clarity
Fiercely independent Helen Winters was born completely blind, but she vowed never to let her disability keep her down. She did not expect a traumatic event to devastate her life and force her to drop out of college. Disillusioned by the cruelty of people, Helen retreated from society to live by herself as a reclusive writer in the woods–where no one could ever hurt her again.
When a brilliant young doctor shows up on her doorstep, promising her that his new research can give her the ability to see for the first time, Helen stubbornly refuses. She has learned not to trust anyone, and to rely only on herself. But Dr. Liam Larson will not take no for an answer. He makes it his personal mission to rescue Helen from her loneliness, and bring joy into her world once more–the joy she has denied herself for so long.
When Helen’s demons come racing back into her life, threatening to rip her apart and destroy the strength she has carefully rebuilt, Liam is the only one who might be able to save her. Can he reach the broken girl in time, helping her to heal and see the world in a different light? Or will Helen’s grief send her spiraling out of control, lost to him forever?
**********This is the first book of a series.**********
Crazy, VA
Sheriff Littlepage Eller of Crazy, Virginia, has her work cut out for her. She started life as the unwanted daughter of both of Crazy’s feuding founding families. She’s enforcing the law in a quirky town more used to paying bribes than fines. And her love life is in hiding. But Lil’s luck changes when she adopts Boris, a foul-tempered tomcat who quickly becomes her feline deputy.
Then Crazy gets its first murder in decades: Lisa Littlepage Hunter, heir to the powerful Littlepage business empire and the cousin Lil never knew. Lil’s investigation will lead her and Boris through a twisted web of forbidden love and family secrets, and before it’s over she’ll need all the help her furry deputy can give her – and then some. http://www.shannonhillauthor.com
The Lanvin Murders
But when Joanna finds a key in a 1930s Lanvin coat cast off by an ex-showgirl, everything changes. The elderly woman turns up dead, and Joanna is pulled into a long-ago drama of back room deals, blackmail, and lost love. She must find a very real—and present day—killer before she becomes his next victim.
“As you dive into this intriguing mystery novel featuring vintage clothing dealer/sleuth Joanna Hayworth and a quirky cast of characters, prepare for an entertaining ride through long-buried crimes and Portland lore to solve the mystery of ‘the woman in the Lanvin coat.’ A truly enjoyable read!” –Christine Finlayson, author of Tip of a Bone, a Pacific Northwest mystery
“Slip on a pair of pink mules and a silk robe, mix up a shaker of martinis, and relax with this delightful mystery set in a Portland vintage clothing store. Populated by a charming heroine and a flock of odd characters, this engaging tale will satisfy the sleuth in you as well as the fashionista.” –Ann Littlewood, author of Endangered, a zoo-dunnit
Rigged for Murder
On leave from the Minneapolis Police Department after being shot, homicide detective Brie Beaumont has gone to Maine where she has family roots. She ships out on the Maine Wind for an early season cruise with Captain John DuLac and eight others. Caught in a gale, they anchor off remote and windswept Granite Island. But when someone aboard is murdered, Brie must single-handedly stage an investigation that moves from the ship to the small fishing village on the island. Plagued by flashbacks, and fighting a growing attraction to Captain DuLac, Brie works to unravel a mystery that will place her directly in the path of a psychopathic killer.
Filled with suspense, colorful characters, nautical lore, and a thread of romance, Rigged for Murder will captivate the most steadfast landlubber.
Double Duplicity
Dreams…Visions…Murder
On the eve of the biggest art event at Huckleberry Mountain Resort, potter Shandra Higheagle finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. She’s ruled out as a suspect, but now it’s up to her to prove the friend she witnessed fleeing the scene was just as innocent. With help from her recently deceased Nez Perce grandmother, Shandra becomes more confused than ever but just as determined to discover the truth.
Detective Ryan Greer prides himself on solving crimes and refuses to ignore a single clue, including Shandra Higheagle’s visions. While Shandra is hesitant to trust her dreams,
Ryan believes in them and believes in her.
Can the pair uncover enough clues for Ryan to make an arrest before one of them becomes the next victim?
For readers who enjoy:
- Cozy mystery romance series
- Mystical fiction
- Amateur sleuth mystery
- Small town mystery and suspense series
- Western romance mystery
The Gun Dog of Baghdad
Dangerous Habits: A Leah Nash Mystery Thriller
A dead nun, a smart reporter, a stunning climax.
Equal parts smart and smartass, reporter Leah Nash is rarely at a loss for words. But when she receives a cryptic message from a nun asking for help, just hours after the woman’s body is pulled from the river, Leah is stunned.
The dead woman was on staff at DeMoss Academy, a residential school for troubled kids run by an order of Catholic nuns. Leah’s self-destructive younger sister Lacey had died there five years earlier.
The nun’s note and an old newspaper clipping attached to it propel Leah into a search for the truth about her sister’s “accidental” death. But it’s a mystery no one wants her to pursue. Not her publisher, who orders her to stop making waves. Not the director of DeMoss Academy, who’s concerned about the school’s reputation. Certainly not the politician’s wife worried about Lacey’s connection to her husband.
As Leah starts closing in on the real story behind her sister’s death, someone starts closing in on her. And just when she’s got it all figured out, a shocking revelation changes everything.
Murder She Typed
Dirty Martini
In Bloody Mary, she busted a psychopath with a penchant for dismemberment.
In Rusty Nail, it was a serial killer with a doozy of a family tree.
And now, in Dirty Martini, Jack faces her toughest adversary yet: a sicko who’s poisoning the city’s food supply. But that’s just the start of what he has planned, because he’s aiming to kill fifty thousand people in the single biggest act of terrorism the US has ever seen. Can she stop him — and decide whether to accept boyfriend Latham’s surprise proposal — without destroying both her reputation and her sanity?
Join Jack, her partner Herb, and her nemesis Harry McGlade, for her fourth, and greatest, case so far.
Disorganized Crime: A Kat Makris Greek Mafia Novel
Kat Makris was a little girl when her father spun wild and outrageous bedtime stories about Baboulas, the Greek boogeyman, a lawless creature with a penchant for stealing gold and clashing with the gods.
Now Kat is twenty-eight, single, a couch potato in a cube farm, when her father goes missing. Without him, she’s alone in the world. Before the police can work their mojo, she herself is abducted by a couple of hoods with crooked noses, and she quickly discovers her father’s old stories were true—true crime, that is. Baboulas is an infamous mob boss in Greece, and Baboulas is the one who has Kat holed up in a private plane bound for Greece.
Now, to find her father, Kat must face the boogeyman …
Somewhere between Stephanie Plum and Michael Corleone you’ll find Kat Makris. DISORGANIZED CRIME is a humorous look at family—and Family.
Trouble at the Red Pueblo
When Spider is hired to do some private detective work for the Red Pueblo Museum, he doesn’t suspect it will cause a rift between his wife, Laurie, and himself.
Museum Director Martin Taylor is desperate, and his son, Matt, is angry. Some wicked, faceless organization is bent on destroying the museum financially, and it’s about to succeed. After Spider arrives, the situation turns deadly when a killer uses an Anasazi ax from the museum’s tourist shop to bash in the skull of a charismatic playboy.
Everyone has a motive for the murder, even Laurie’s handsome, rich relative who cozies up to her every chance he gets. The local Barney-Fife-type deputy arrests volatile Matt Taylor, whose only real crime is putting his trust in the wrong woman. Can Spider untangle the web of secrecy and lies surrounding the museum and save its Anasazi treasures before the Taylors lose it all? And in the process, can he save his own marriage?
A cozy mystery with an edge, Trouble at the Red Pueblo is Book #1 in Liz Adair’s Spider Latham Red Rock Mystery Series set in Southern Utah’s spectacularly scenic canyon country.
From Meridian Magazine:
Liz Adair’s new Spider Latham Mystery, Trouble at the Red Pueblo, captures the mystery and splendor of the red rock country and modern spirit of the west. In a style similar to that of Tony Hillerman and Clair Poulson, she mixes a solid mystery with a modern western. . .
Spider is far from the typical Western literary hero. There’s an honesty and realism to him that real westerners will recognize and love. He’s not a twenty-something quick-draw, but a man who has raised two sons, loves his wife, and values the land his ancestors settled as early pioneers. He’s a deputy sheriff who isn’t paid too well and has difficulty figuring out modern electronic gadgets like smart phones. He’s kind and compassionate to family, friends, strangers, and animals, but struggles to deal with assumptions and jealousy. His manner of speech and his thought processes ring true and endear readers to him.
Spider’s wife, Laurie, is a strong woman in many ways. She has a kind, gentle style that draws people to her, but she also has a keen mind and is in many ways as much of a detective as her husband. She’s also knowledgeable concerning horses and western culture. Other minor characters are strong, distinct people who greatly enrich the story.
The background for this story is the Utah/Arizona border area between Kanab and Fredonia with its red rocks, high temperatures, and Anasazi ruins and artifacts. Adair does a great job of bringing this setting alive as part of the story, making visualizing the magnificent scenery easy yet a natural part of the story. . .
The plot moves at a deceptively relaxed pace, drawing the reader in with interesting tidbits and wonderful dialog, until the reader is surprised to discover how quickly the action is moving. The conclusion is satisfying both as a resolution to the mystery, but as it relates back to a couple of other issues introduced early on.
Water’s Edge
The Black Chip
THE BLACK CHIP is the story of Noly Boots, an ex-private detective that must re-enter the violent world he left in order to rescue his girlfriend and her daughter, abducted as pawns in a multi-million dollar theft.
As the novel opens, Sarah Benson, and her twelve year-old daughter, Kacy, learn about the gangland-style murder of Sarah’s brother. In fear for herself and her daughter, Sarah attempts to flee with Kacy, but is instead abducted by a mob-connected criminal and his cruel, unstable accomplice. Now Noly, using a network of friends, must find the two most important people in his life–and heaven help the bastards that took them, because Noly will show them no mercy
Murder & Mystery
Meanwhile, feisty stay-at-home mom Kim Verraros can’t stand her mother-in-law. Their petty feud has lasted over 20 years and she’s beginning to feel like victory is out of reach. But when she gets a call from her P.I. with proof of juicy dirt on her arch nemesis, she has a tough decision to make: should she use this information to her benefit, or is keeping family together more important than personal gratification? Or maybe she should keep an eye on her own sordid secrets?
Follow the lives of Velvet Shore’s rich and poor as their paths collide in this quirky series filled with sex, secrets, and drama. You’ll laugh and cry as you read and experience the epic stories of people who, like us, just simply want to be loved.
Their passions run deep. Their desires are insatiable. They are restless…
*** Author’s Note ***
Restless Desires is unlike your traditional novel and is formatted like a screenplay. It is a work inspired by daytime TV and theatre. The series is fast-paced and has character-driven plots that can span multiple “episodes.” However, each book can be read as a stand-alone.
The Harbinger 1st Cycle Collection: Hard-boiled Mysteries Not for the Faint of Heart
“If you think you know what is going to happen, your wrong. I have read so many suspense and crime books that guessing the end gets easier and easier. NOT this time. Be prepared to be hooked from the first page and loose some sleep because you just can’t put it down”
Michelle Delgado
Amazon Reviewer
“I am hooked on these stories! Very well-written and entertaining…Very hard to put down! Time to return this set and check out some more.”
D. Harris
Amazon Reviewer
Overview: The Harbinger Collection
A Patterson-style set of thrillers with a dash of Hannibal…
This collection includes:
Anatomy: The prequel short story
Plain Jane – The full length first novel of the series
Dark Lullaby – the bridge short between Plain Jane & Wallflower *exclusive to the collection
My Soul to Keep – the Harbinger short story featuring Nicole *exclusive to the collection
Wallflower – the full length sequel to Plain Jane *exclusive to the collection
Shallow Grave – bridge short between Wallflower and Buzz Kill *exclusive to the collection
Buzz Kill – the last book in the Harbinger trilogy
Pallor – the post-Buzz Kill wrap up short story
More Praise for the Harbinger Collection
“When I read on the author’s blog that Plain Jane was a “Patterson-style thriller with a dash of Hannibal” I knew right away that I wanted to read it. I was not disappointed and in my honest opinion this book is incredible!”
A. Harris
Amazon Reviewer
Just remember to keep the lights on when reading this collection!
Anyone who enjoys mystery/thrillers such as James Patterson, Lee Child, and Patricia Cornwell, The Harbinger series with definitely satisfy your need for suspense!
**Looking for McCray’s other #1 Police Procedural series? Check out the Darc Murders Collection
**Looking for McCray’s latest Hard Boiled series? Check out the Nursery Rhyme Murders Collection
**Want a collection filled with McCray’s other thrillers? Check out Got
The Black Rose
After years of experience in the courtroom, Assistant State Attorney Meredith O’Brien finds herself the target of street thugs and deep into uncovering the truth about a serial rapist and killer intent on taunting the police and her. What was the meaning of the black rose? After years of being alone she also finds herself being pursued by her ex-boyfriend detective and a mysterious Atlanta billionaire, not to mention a dog with the intelligence of a four year old. Both of the men are infuriating, persistent and intent on getting into her life, business and more personal places. Surrounded by a cast of unpredictable characters including co-workers, relatives, psychics and bounty hunters, she finds her entire life has gone crazily out of control. Strong willed, sharp-tongued and explosive, she discovers the media is quick to paint a target on her back. Dodging bullets and physically fighting bad guys was not what Meredith envisioned when she went to law school or took her job in the small, picturesque Florida city of Gainesville. Dying prematurely was also not what she had envisioned.
This cozy romance mystery suspense action thriller is packed with adventure, comedy and women sleuths fighting crime. This is a detective story with heart and a touch of the paranormal, as Meredith O’Brien applies her brand of the law, up close and very personally. A fine blend of romance and mystery, it follows the drama as police are confronted with crimes against the community and those that enforce the law. If Meredith survives the attacks on her, she still has to deal with her meddling friends and family pushing romance and impossible relationships on her. What’s a girl to do?
This first of the O’Brien’s Law Mystery series is available as a paperback and Kindle eBook.
All Roads Lead Home
by
“Great Story..it should be a movie” MMMorrell
Getting lost is easy. Finding your way home’s the tricky part.
Burned out Jesse McKlintock has nowhere left to go except right back to the place he cut loose from ten years ago in a blind rage. In those ten years he stayed blind drunk. Now he hates himself as passionately as those who betrayed him. He is an old thirty-six needing to winter somewhere. And the chip on his shoulder from years of being hated for his skin is getting mighty heavy.
“No. That’s it. You don’t get it. I have nothing. No family, no home, no one to miss me. I’m tired of this life anyway. Just do me a favor and do it now.”
The old man dropped his smirk and stared at the cowboy for a long spell. He got up, walked over to a shelf and took down a bottle Jesse hadn’t noticed before. The old man walked over to him and poured some of it in the open spot on his head. “That’s just plain sad, son,” he said. “I finally met a man more pitiful than me.”
The struggle for survival can get messy and that’s for those who care. It gets downright ugly for those who don’t.
Enter now into Jesse’s journey of last resort, pressed onward by an unknown force driving him back to the very ground he’d cursed before leaving ten years prior. Jesse crosses paths with a curious character who is thought to be an assassin named Maxwell Calkinmyer, receives a partially shot off ear compliments of Crazy Mary, and is shaken silly by a curmudgeon by the name of Levon.
Getting There, second edition of the first book in the All Roads Lead Home saga, reveals Jesse’s rich Scot-Wichita heritage as he treks up north to Wyoming in order to winter. Not by choice. He’d just flat run out of places that would take him. Along the way, he travels back in time to his roots, where his Native American grandmother’s tales span over 80 years across pre-Indian Territory, linking his past, present, and future generations.
Time may not heal all wounds, Jesse will learn. It will, however, do its part when we at least show up for our part. Getting There is an up and down, emotion-yanking, laugh-triggering, thought-provoking tale of betrayal, mystery, suspense, action, and adventure with more twists than a secondhand bread tie.
L. L. Ward, a prodigal native Oklahoman, takes you for a ride beginning in the early 1800’s and brings it on home to present day through the course of the seven book All Roads Lead Home series.
Simon Said
Winner of the Malice Domestic/St. Martin’s Press Best First Traditional Mystery Award
Completely reformatted.
Forensic historian Simon Shaw likes his murders old and cold, and his first case fits the bill. An archeologist friend has found a skeleton with a bullet hole in its skull under historic Bloodworth House, and Simon investigates with his usual doggedness until he discovers that the corpse is Anne Bloodworth, an heiress who disappeared in 1926. Shaw feels compelled to find out who killed her. But this turns out to be more than an academic exercise when someone who wants to hide past secrets tries to murder him!
“Shaber charms us with her personable prof and her warm, vibrant portrait of small-town Southern life.” -New York Times Book Review
“A most auspicious introduction.”–The Washington Times
“Sarah Shaber takes modern Southern Life and gives it a slow-roasting in this gently mocking tale of past murder in present-day Raleigh. Spiced with old-timey prejudices and up-to-date neuroses, and served with a generous helping of Southern –fried academia, this is a perfectly delicious book!”
-Margaret Maron, Author of the Deborah Knott Mystery Series
Murder on Potrero Hill
Stepping into the circle of the social elite, Peyton finds that things work differently when you’re at the top. And Jake Ryder seems to be caught in the epicenter.
Ultimately, Peyton finds that you never know what darkness lurks in the human mind and that some will murder to keep that darkness hidden.
A book you don’t want to read at bedtime, you won’t get much sleep. I didn’t know the author, so I figured it would put me to sleep. Far from it, it kept me hooked to the end. The book is fast paced, well written and has great characters with twists and turns in the story that keep you guessing who-dun-it.
Sharpe Edge
A Christmas party for the upper crust of the small Texas town of Maycroft turns tragic when the hostess ends up dead. Everyone assumes her death is an accident—everyone except her daughter, Estelle. She turns to Deena to help solve the mystery. A jealous friend and a mysterious heir are just two of the likely suspects. As a school teacher turned newspaper reporter, Deena must get crafty to dig out the truth before anyone else gets hurt, including her own brother.
Sharpe Edge is the second book in the Cozy Suburbs Mystery Series. A little romance, some snarky suburban competition, and a lot of mystery will keep you turning pages in this cozy whodunit.
If you like a clean, cozy mystery with lots of guesswork, buy Sharpe Edge today!
SIX JOHN JORDAN MYSTERIES
A conflicted ex-cop who now wears a clerical collar investigates baffling cases of murder in these beloved, acclaimed, and bestselling suspenseful mysteries by award-winning author Michael Lister.
“Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity.” Michael Connelly
“One of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. Read this and see what crime fiction is capable of.” Julia Spencer-Fleming
THE FIRST SIX JOHN JORDAN MYSTERIES IN ONE BOX SET
6 Suspenseful Mystery Adventures with one of crime fiction’s most fascinating and unique detectives.
SIX JOHN JORDAN “BLOOD” MYSTERIES — in the popular, award-winning, and critically-acclaimed series.
“Ex-cop turned Prison Chaplain John Jordan is one of crime fiction’s most original heroes, and his creator, Michael Lister is one of the genre’s freshest voices” PJ Parish.
“Another great ride with a very assured driver behind the wheel.” Michael Connelly
“Eerie and cinematic, classic whodunits with thoroughly modern sensibilities. John Jordan manages to be deeply flawed yet utterly appealing. Lister, with his gift for exploring the nuances of human relationships, creates a vivid and multi-faceted supporting cast, each character finely-wrought, each portrayal unflinching. Suspenseful, complex and original, page-turners with a soul.” Lisa Unger
“Michael Lister writes one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. In his unique voice, Lister examines human beings’ responses to a fundamentally inhuman situation. Not for the faint of heart, it’s Heart of Darkness meets The Shawshank Redemption. Read this book and see what crime fiction is capable of.” Julia Spencer-Fleming
Michael Koryta says, “If you like crime writing with depth, suspense, and sterling prose, you should be reading Michael Lister.”
The Florida Book Review says that “Vintage Michael Lister is poetic prose, exquisitely set scenes, characters who are damaged and faulty”
“Michael Lister is a giant talent with a unique vision. His landmark John Jordan Mystery series is a treasure of contemporary literature.” Florida Weekly
“Alcohol Was Not Involved”
Crooked Man
IF A GYM BAG OF CASH FELL INTO YOUR HANDS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO KEEP IT?
His clients are all renegades from the asylum (aka Orleans Parish), including a transvestite entertainer, a buxom deadbeat blonde, a doctor who refers his own patients to a malpractice lawyer, and a Mardi Gras reveler who drives a float shaped like a giant crawfish pot. He also has his hands full with an ex-wife and three teenage daughters, who are experts in the art of wrapping Tubby around their little fingers. And somehow, between work and family, Tubby finds time to sample the highs and lows of idiosyncratic Crescent City cuisine, from trout meuniere amandine and French roast coffee with chicory to shrimp po-boys and homemade pecan pralines.
Tubby’s new client is Darryl Alvarez, the manager of a local nightclub who’s been caught unloading marijuana from a shrimp boat. At their first meeting, Darryl entrusts Tubby with an ordinary-looking blue gym bag. But after Darryl’s unfortunate demise, Tubby realizes he must tighten his grasp on the gym bag — and its million-dollar contents.
Tubby can’t just give up the cash. But if he gets caught, he’ll be in jail. And if the wrong people catch him, he’ll wish he was.
WHERE’S MY SON?
Detective Jason Strong led the task force to find Michael’s son, and has become his friend.
But as Michael’s darkness grows, Jason fears he’s the only one who can stop the events that will change everyone, before it’s too late.
Maids of Misfortune: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery
Annie Fuller also has a secret. She supplements her income by giving domestic and business advice as Madam Sibyl, one of San Francisco’s most exclusive clairvoyants, and one of Madam Sibyl’s clients, Matthew Voss, has died. The police believe his death was suicide brought upon by bankruptcy, but Annie believes Voss has been murdered and that his assets have been stolen.
Nate Dawson has a problem. As the Voss family lawyer, he would love to believe that Matthew Voss didn’t leave his grieving family destitute. But that would mean working with Annie Fuller, a woman who alternatively attracts and infuriates him as she shatters every notion he ever had of proper ladylike behavior.
Sparks fly as Anne and Nate pursue the truth about the murder of Matthew Voss in this light-hearted, cozy historical mystery set in the foggy gas-lit world of Victorian San Francisco.
Maids of Misfortune is the first book in M. Louisa Locke’s historical mystery series, see also, Uneasy Spirits, and Bloody Lessons, as well as the two short stories based on the characters from the novels, Dandy Detects, and The Misses Moffet Mend a Marriage.
Death At A Diner: A Culinary Cozy Mystery
COMING SOON In Both Audiobook & Paperback Forms!
Nora Newberry has been working to make her dreams come true and finally, after 10 years,it’s time! She’s moved back to her hometown of Milburn, Wyoming, and, together with her lifelong best friend, Raquel Madden, is opening the diner they’ve been planning since high school. Life couldn’t be better…and it’s time to celebrate!
Sadly, the celebration doesn’t last long. Just three days before the diner is set to open its doors, Raquel is found murdered. And with no clear motive and little cooperation from the townspeople, Nora is thrown into a murder investigation that just may cause her to lose her own life.
Death At A Diner is the first book in Nancy McGovern’s new culinary cozy mystery series, “A Murder In Milburn”. Book 2, Death Of A Deputy, is also available on Amazon!
To receive updates on her future books, behind-the-scenes information and A FREE NOVELLA-LENGTH PREQUEL TO THIS SERIES, sign up for Nancy’s newsletter at:http://eepurl.com/bTH4Jb.
Total Victim Theory
“Total Victim Theory” would also make A GREAT HALLOWEEN GIFT for your blood-thirsty pals.
I highly recommend this new–and unique voice!!
Deadly Arrangements
The trouble is, between Alex’s job and planning weddings, it’s getting harder and harder for Quincy and Alex to find any time to themselves. Every time the flames of passion ignite between them, someone or something shows up to fizzle the fire, including her meddling mother, her formerly absent father and even Elma, the handsiest waitress in the West.
Wedded bliss is contagious in small town Hillside. Should be great news for Quincy, except that one groom is missing and another is the prime suspect. Hard for a florist to make a living that way, and even harder for her to stay out of the investigation, especially when the suspect is her sidekick, K.C.’s fiancé.
Just when she thinks nothing else could go wrong, a ghost from Alex’s past comes back to haunt them both, which could keep them apart forever, if someone doesn’t kill Quincy first. She’s stumbled into the clues to solve the case of the missing groom and finds a corpse as well, proving that planning a wedding can literally be murder.
A High Price to Pay
Adding to Madeline’s already overflowing plate, the D.A. informs her that Rick Yeoman, one of the men who had abducted her three years earlier, has been prematurely released from prison after cutting a deal with the Feds. Besides fearing reprisals from the man she helped to convict, his parole also triggers the reappearance of soulless Lionel Usherwood, lured out of his hideaway by the call of revenge. When Yeoman’s body surfaces in Lake Cachuma, Usherwood moves on to the next target: Madeline.
A High Price to Pay is the second novel in the Madeline Dawkins series.
Loose Ends
A High Price to Pay
Adding to Madeline’s already overflowing plate, the D.A. informs her that Rick Yeoman, one of the men who had abducted her three years earlier, has been prematurely released from prison after cutting a deal with the Feds. Besides fearing reprisals from the man she helped to convict, his parole also triggers the reappearance of soulless Lionel Usherwood, lured out of his hideaway by the call of revenge. When Yeoman’s body surfaces in Lake Cachuma, Usherwood moves on to the next target: Madeline.
A High Price to Pay is the second novel in the Madeline Dawkins series.
A Body in the Backyard
Overview:
It’s just an ordinary day for octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover—until her yardman discovers a dead body planted in her backyard. This death isn’t cut and dried—the victim was bashed in the head with one of Myrtle’s garden gnomes.
Myrtle’s friend Miles recognizes the body and identifies him as Charles Clayborne… reluctantly admitting he’s a cousin. Charles wasn’t the sort of relative you bragged about—he was a garden variety sleaze, which is very likely why he ended up murdered. As Myrtle starts digging up dirt to nip the killings in the bud, someone’s focused on scaring her off the case. Myrtle vows to find the murderer…before she’s pushing up daisies, herself.
Other Works…
Sign up for Elizabeth’s free newsletter to keep updated on new releases and for recipes and other extras (your address is never shared and you may always unsubscribe): http://eepurl.com/kCy5j
**If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ll want to check out Elizabeth’s other series, The Southern Quilting Mysteries and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries (written as Riley Adams).
Twisted Perception
“Avey’s debut has much to recommend it. The pace and fine plotting will grab your attention. The twists and turns will catch you by surprise.”
— The Tulsa World.
“Avey draws his characters convincingly. Full of surprises, Twisted Perception, may be accurately called a page turner.”
— The Daily Oklahoman.
“Twisted Perception is a promising mystery debut, filled with twists and turns you won’t see coming.”
— William Bernhardt, author of Hate Crime
“This is a wonderful book, full of twists and turns and surprises.”
— Crimespree Magazine
“Bob Avey has written a terrific mystery filled with engaging characters and a taut storyline that will have you wondering who done it until the very end.”
— Spinetingler Magazine
The Vital Principle
Unfortunately, instead of proving Miss Barnard is a fraud, Gaunt is made to look like a fool when Crowley is murdered after the séance. Apparently, the attractive spiritualist is not the only guest who has mastered the art of sleight-of-hand. Whoever killed Crowley managed to poison his brandy without anyone noticing and to act with appropriate concern afterwards.
The terrified guests immediately close ranks against Miss Barnard and accuse her of the murder. She is the only stranger in the house, except for Gaunt, and she’d argued with Crowley the previous day. It sounds reasonable to everyone except Miss Barnard. And Gaunt.
Then the murderer strikes again, and Gaunt must use all of his skill to expose the truth before another member of their house party dies.
The Demise – A Mystery
Tiny Braxton, Tennessee, is a quiet, tight-knit community wrapped around an old town square just a stone’s throw from Nashville. But when the town’s most prominent citizen is found dead at the base of its water tower, news of Peter Lanham’s apparent suicide roars through town like a massive tsunami.
Peter, the handsome, beloved CEO of Lanham’s Fine Foods, had taken a small, family-owned grocery store founded in 1927, and grew it into a successful national chain. With most of Braxton’s residents employed by Lanham’s corporate headquarters, word of Peter’s demise left them searching for answers. What could possibly have made him take a swan dive off that tower?
Julie Parker is convinced he didn’t. As receptionist at Lanham’s executive office suite, she’s determined to find out what really happened to her boss. An aspiring actor who also stars as “The Lanham Girl” in the company’s TV commercials, Julie prides herself on her perceptive observations and people-skills. Who better to find out what happened to Peter up on that water tower?
Matt Bryson, on assignment as a rookie Special Agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, isn’t about to let the attractive receptionist intrude on his first case. She may be a hometown insider, but he’s got perfectly capable of solving the case without “Miss Marple” screwing up his investigation.
A perfect setting, a cast of oddball characters, and just enough drama to raise lots of suspicion. The stage is set.
Death on the Range: Target Practice
When a competitive archer is murdered at the training facility where Di has just started working, she’s thrust into the middle of an unofficial investigation before she can even settle into her new life.
This is the first book in a brand-new series set at the fictional Westmound Center for Competitive Shooting Sports in rural Wyoming.
“Funny, charming, and occasionally deadly.” ~ NYT bestselling author Zoe York
Target Practice Mystery #1
“A humorous first-in-series cozy mystery featuring a darling dog, a sassy heroine, and an amusing cast of characters.” — USA Today bestselling author Zara Keane
Missing
Donna and Hunter both have dark secrets, secrets they will do anything to hide. Renzi fears Donna may already be dead. A ransom demand raises more questions. Is this a kidnapping? A cover-up for murder? Payback for past misdeeds? When one hostage is found brutally murdered, Renzi must unravel the Gates family secrets and find the killer before it’s too late.
A Field of Red
BookReview.com: “Enslen has skillfully created some very memorable characters, not the least being one very likeable “bad guy.” “A Field of Red” is a good read. Bookreview.com hopes to run into Frank Harper (by any moniker) again soon.” “A Field of Red” by Greg Enslen opens with ex-New Orleans cop Frank Harper driving north to Ohio in a beat-up Taurus listening to the likes of Treetop Perkins on his jury-rigged CD player. Frank is a drunk–that is quickly established. So are a number of other things, e.g., the town of Cooper’s Mill is charming but almost claustrophobically small; the abduction of two young school girls in broad daylight on a busy street has just transpired; and the police force is competent but over its head. Greg Enslen is an established author and although all of his novels probably qualify for the thriller genre, this is the first one to feature Frank Harper. One has the feeling that this is a series in the making…”
WINDOW OF TIME
LA firefighter Johnny Cartwright’s life changes the moment he meets Lucy. His uncomplicated days flip to dangerously unpredictable after he’s drawn deeper into her secretive world of premonitions. His attraction to Lucy grows as he helps her stop a terroristic plot against the U.S., putting his life between her and certain death.
I really enjoyed this book. The concept was unique and fun, the Characters were interesting and enjoyable, and the story was creative! Full of danger, romance, and some very unexpected twists. It kept me reading, wanting to know what was going to happen and how each event was going to play out. And I got excited and nervous every time there was a Window. I wanted the characters to succeed and didn’t know if they could so I eagerly awaited each time as they tried to make a difference. I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others as a good, fun, fast paced read.
At God’s Mercy: WW2 Mystery
Can you escape your past’s ghosts?
Poland, World War II. A desperate young Jewish woman sacrifices her life to save her baby twins from the terrible death that awaits them
Decades later, in New York, Rabbi Jeremiah Neumann discovers the existence of his long lost twin. He rushes headlong to meet him – but is shocked to discover that his identical twin is a priest.
The two brothers travel to Poland to find out who they truly are. Page by page they uncover the terrible secret of their bloodcurdling heritage. A long-dormant evil is resurrected, and once again threatens to take the twins’ lives. Will they survive the new storm?
Humpty Dumpty: The killer wants us to put him back together again
Humpty Dumpty: the killer wants us to put him back together again is the first book in the new series, The Nursery Rhyme Murders, by none other than the #1 Police Procedural and Hard Boiled Mystery bestselling authors, Carolyn McCray and Ben Hopkin!
Praise for Humpty Dumpty…
“Come for the murder, stay for the three-dimensional, realistically fractured characters! … Long plane rides and rainy Saturday afternoons were made for books like this. If you like your suspense with a side of gruesome and a dash of humor, this is it.”
Brandon Stanley
Amazon Reviewer
“Humpty Dumpty is a wonderful start to what I hope will be the first in a fun and thrilling series. I found myself flipping the pages to get to the end and what an ending. The story was well written and the dialogue was sharp, witty and fast-paced. The chemistry between the main characters, Joshua, Had and Cooper was magical… Eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.”
Romano Robusto
Amazon Reviewer
“Another good crime scene series from one of my favorites. Once again McCray has brought together an interesting cast of characters. Each member of the team has flaws, just like real people. The concept of using nursery rhymes as a theme for murder gives the story a creepy edge. The plot twists will keep you guessing.”
J. Duarte
Amazon Reviewer
Overview:
With a vicious serial killer on the loose, distributing body parts all around the country, the FBI must turn to a disgraced agent and an untested rookie to capture the madman before anyone else is dismembered.
Full of the twists and turns you expect from McCray and Hopkin, Humpty Dumpty is a page turning thriller for mystery fans
All Saints’ Secrets
Plateful of Murder
Dane Curse
At least that’s how it was before a mysterious murder threatens to plunge Gold Coast City into a super powered war unless I find the killer in five days’ time. But getting to the truth won’t be so easy. I’ll have to face ruthless black capes with secrets to hide, a powerful government agency bent on national expansion, and even teams of white caped heroes whose intentions are less than pure.
No easy task for a small time PI, so I’ll need every bit of my strength and guts if I’m going to find the killer, save my city, and maybe even get some justice for the greatest hero the world has ever known.
Friends and Other Perishables
“The image of the hard-boiled detective has undergone many transformations since the days of Hammett and Chandler. Still, the idea of a married man with a couple of young daughters working the mean streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma, seems hardly noir. But in Dale Whisman’s debut, FRIENDS, AND OTHER PERISHABLES, PI Carl Jacobs is a bona fide member of the fraternity. Whisman spins a good story and has created a likeable, credible hero and a supporting cast with good depth and a promise of staying power that bodes well for future appearances.”
-Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine
“…thrill-packed novel grabs you in the first paragraph and never lets you go. An outstanding debut.”
-William Bernhardt, author of the best selling Ben Kincaid series
“…follows the tradition of Spencer and Marlow and other PI’s of the genre—the hard-baked detective with a heart.”
-Charles W. Sasser, author of the best selling Detachment Delta series
“…exciting private investigative tale contains a strong mystery…solid cozy starring a likable champion who handles being shot at and wounded with aplomb, but goes a bit crazy when his family comes under attack.”
-Harriet Klausner, The Readers Guild, rated 10 out of 10 – a recommended read
“In good, solid prose Whisman guides you effortlessly through the consistently suspenseful story with a great sense of humor, and of what it means to be really tough. You will not be able to put this book down, and you can’t say that about too many mysteries these days. So treasure this one for all it’s worth.”
-Tone and Groove Music and Entertianment Ezine
May Queen Killers
A beauty queen is missing…
Sapphire Butterworth disappears in the middle of May Day celebrations in the quiet village of Fleckford. Mystery writer, Jock Skone is one of the last to see Sapphire and determined to use his detective skills to find her. But Jock quickly discovers that Sapphire’s friends do not know her as well as they thought they did. And Sapphire is not the first May Queen to go missing. Is there a deeper reason why Sapphire wanted the title so badly? Does she know more about the May Queen Killers than she’s been letting on?
May Queen Killers is a very British thriller set on the English/Welsh border.
If you enjoy fast-paced mysteries/psychological thrillers, visit http://www.LornaDounaeva.com for a free 10k book, The Muse, plus giveaways and updates on new releases.
This is one of the most twisting, turning mystery stories I have ever read. This book is both a murder mystery and a thriller and is satisfying as both. At several points during the story I was absolutely convinced I knew who the killer(s) were and every time I was wrong. The author is utterly brilliant about leading the reader down the garden path and leaving them to jump their own; and in my case wrong, conclusions.
The book starts in current day and then through the well placed use of flashbacks and ongoing plot moves the story along. Sapphire, is to be May Queen in her tiny English village. Jock is a nervous, mystery writer, who is avoiding his past; he is our guide to the history and current events of the story. When Sapphire leaps from the May Queen Float and takes off in a run. Jock tries to follow but loses her. When she doesn’t return the story of the May Queen Killers is teased out.
There are very few books where I am truly gobsmacked at the end, this in one succeeds as two separate things are revealed that are just brilliant. After I finished I was still trying to determine how I had been so successfully mislead.
Hill of Secrets
On a blooming May morning, five bodies of a single religious family are found in their apartment, in the quiet suburb of Samuel’s Hill (Giv’at Shmuel).
Can she survive them?
A Murder in Mount Moriah
For hospital chaplain Lindsay Harding, facing death is part of the job. After all, she spends her working days comforting sick and dying patients. But when the annual Civil War reenactment in her hometown of Mount Moriah, North Carolina produces a real casualty, the Grim Reaper suddenly gets a little too close for comfort. With the clock ticking, the police struggle to unravel how and why a beloved local re-enactor was shot in front of hundreds of on-lookers. As fingers point and tempers flare, another victim ends up laid out on Lindsay’s front porch.
Lindsay’s life is in danger, but her efforts to expose the century-old sins that lie at the heart of the mystery are undermined by her disastrous love life, her no-good mother, and a ninja-like squirrel–not to mention the small matter of a dangerous killer who’ll stop at nothing to keep a sinister secret. Will courage, curiosity, and Lindsay’s irreverent brand of religion be enough to catch the killer before she becomes the next victim?
All the while Lindsay is torn between her attraction to the hospital’s new doctor, an Adonis in surgical scrubs, and her fractious, flirtatious relationship with the (sort-of) married detective investigating the murder.
When Lindsay threatens to expose century-old sins that shaped the very soul of Mount Moriah, the murderer gets too close for comfort and threatens Lindsay’s chance at a happy ending.
A Field of Red
BookReview.com: “Enslen has skillfully created some very memorable characters, not the least being one very likeable “bad guy.” “A Field of Red” is a good read. Bookreview.com hopes to run into Frank Harper (by any moniker) again soon.” “A Field of Red” by Greg Enslen opens with ex-New Orleans cop Frank Harper driving north to Ohio in a beat-up Taurus listening to the likes of Treetop Perkins on his jury-rigged CD player. Frank is a drunk–that is quickly established. So are a number of other things, e.g., the town of Cooper’s Mill is charming but almost claustrophobically small; the abduction of two young school girls in broad daylight on a busy street has just transpired; and the police force is competent but over its head. Greg Enslen is an established author and although all of his novels probably qualify for the thriller genre, this is the first one to feature Frank Harper. One has the feeling that this is a series in the making…”
City of Beads
TUBBY’S CURE FOR BOREDOM: RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!
The SECOND deliciously sneaky mystery in Anthony- and Edgar-nominatedTony Dunbar’s Tubby Dubonnet series.
Sure, researching licensing law for the new casino will keep trout meunière on the table, but what could be more tedious? (Unless, of course, the client turns out to be connected.) Meanwhile, there’s the estate of an old friend who controls some dock leases on the wharf. And he agrees to help his daughter’s environmental group stop illegal dumping in the river.
Ho-hum, thinks our hero. But suddenly all three cases begin to converge in an entirely ominous way–the toxic dumping, the dock leases, and the too-good-to-be-true casino job. How is that possible? Could it be Tubby’s been set up as the fall guy in a Mob effort to expand its gambling empire?
NOW it’s exciting — he’s running for his life!
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set
This set includes the first 4 books in the Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series:
Killer Cupcakes
Lexy Baker has finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriend and settled into her grandmothers house with her perky dog Sprinkles at her side. Things are going great … until her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery.
Suddenly Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunky neighbor detective Jack Perillo who figures her for the killer. Lexy takes it upon herself to find the real killer aided by a gang of iPad toting, would-be detective grandmothers.
As things heat up between Lexy and the hunky detective, the real killer closes in and there’s only one question to be answered — will Lexy get her man?
Dying For Danish
When Lexy Baker stumbles over the body of her high paying catering client, she finds herself in a race against time to find the killer. Aided by four iPad toting amateur detective grandma’s, her best friend and her little dog Sprinkles, Lexy finds the suspect list growing at every turn.
To make matters worse, the investigation is headed up by her hunky neighbor Detective Jack Perillo who she had been hot and heavy with – until he mysteriously stopped calling her several weeks earlier. Add in a handsome rich suspect, an angry gold digger ex-girlfriend and a suspicious son and you’ll see that Lexy has her work cut out for her.
Murder, Money and Marzipan
Lexy’s off to Las Vegas to compete in the prestigious Bakery Battles where, you guess it, she stumbles over another body. But not just any body. Contest judge Amanda Scott Saunders has been strangled with Lexy’s apron. The local police soon discover Lexy had means, motive and opportunity and Lexy must enlist the aid of her grandmother to help clear her name.
3 Bodies and A Biscotti
The bodies are piling up at the Brook Ridge Falls Retirement Center. Healthy people are dropping like flies. And yet no one believes a murderer is on the loose… except for Lexy Baker and the troupe of iPad-toting grandmothers who live at the center.
When Lexy’s detective boyfriend, Jack, refuses to believe that foul play is involved, Lexy has no choice but to find the killer on her own. Along with Nans and her gang of iPad-toting, mystery-solving grandmas, they use everything from hypnosis to high-tech gadgets to track down the killer.
Night of Shadows
Her sister, Joan, has been missing for more than a week and this time Melinda Bailey is really worried. True, her sister has always been a bit impulsive and flighty, but it is not like her to go off without a suitcase, without even a word to her husband, Preston. When Melinda wants to come out to New Mexico to help search for her, Preston says no. And that makes Melinda worry even more. Could he be involved in Joan’s disappearance?
Ignoring his protests, Melinda hops the next flight out of Atlanta, then rents a truck to drive out to Sacramento Ranch. Bad weather makes her lose her way, though, and she nearly drowns in the flood waters. She owes her life to Mac McClure, Joan’s brother-in-law, who pulls her to safety. After a rocky start, they become friends…with potential. But can she trust him? Melinda is certain that Joan did not walk off on her own. Something scandalous is casting a shadow over the ranch. Can she unravel the plot in time to save her sister — and herself?
Mirth, Murder & Mystery
A Cutthroat Business by Jenna Bennett
Everyone has warned new-minted realtor Savannah Martin that real estate is a cutthroat business. But Savannah doesn’t think she’s supposed to take the warning literally … until an early morning phone call sends her to an empty house on the ‘bad’ side of town, where she finds herself standing over the butchered body of a competitor, face to face with the boy her mother always warned her about.
The Ex Who Wouldn’t Die by Sally Berneathy
Amanda has been trying for a year to divorce her lying, cheating, scam artist husband, Charley. Then he turns up dead, murdered. Finally they are no longer married! But she is the primary suspect and, as if that isn’t bad enough, Charley’s ghost shows up in her apartment. He was rejected, kicked back to earth, not allowed to go into the light. Even death did not them part.
A Touch of Ice by L.J. Charles
When Everly Gray touches photographer Mitchell Hunt and sees the image of a dead body, she dives into the murder ESP fingers first. Caught in a web of intrigue, El discovers an aptitude for breaking and entering, the pain of a gunshot wound, and the terror of facing a killer. What she doesn’t learn—to keep her fingers to herself.
The Chase by Adrienne Giordano
Hard-driving attorney Jo Pomeroy is as determined as she is sexy—in other words, a major pain in NYPD Sergeant Gabe Townsend’s butt. Working together on a high-profile task force charged with busting sales of counterfeit goods has been rocky from the start. Now, she’s on the radar of a mysterious smuggler not afraid to use violence to evade the law. At the risk of their lives—and their hearts—Gabe and Jo must find him before he finds them.
The Secret Ingredient by Misty Evans
During a live cooking show in her hometown, celebrity chef Katelynn Karr’s father dies in front of millions of viewers, and suspicion falls on Kate when his autopsy reveals he was poisoned. Nick Juno, the boy she left behind and who is now mayor, is the only person who can prove Kate’s innocence.
Let Us Prey by Jamie Lee Scott
Mimi Capurro is trying to put her life back together after the sudden death of her husband. Using the skills she learned as a secret service agent, she runs the Gotcha Detective Agency, along with her skilled computer forensics partner Charles Parks. Gotcha specializes in executive protection (bodyguards), and tailing cheating spouses.
Mimi never expects to run into her old college flame Nick, when she takes on an executive protection case for New York Times bestselling author Lauren Silke. But when Lauren’s assistant is murdered, the homicide case, along with Mimi, land in Nick’s lap. Will Mimi and Nick be able to solve this murder without killing each other first?
The Throwbacks by Stephanie Queen
To salvage his career, exiled Scotland Yard “Flying Squad” detective, the not-so-young David Young, joins the Boston Police Department.
But this rogue detective can’t resist an unlikely romance with his young and vivacious decorator, Grace Rogers, even when she becomes a key witness in his high-stakes case–and like Kryptonite to his career and well-being.
Cold Justice
Out of the Shadow
Available Now: NIGHT OF THE SHADOW, Shadow Series, Book 2
Two women. One goal. To uncover the truth no matter the cost.
A survivor of rape and her husband’s murder, all Becca Rosen wants to do is move on with her life, but how can she when she’s being stalked by a psychopath with an attitude—and an agenda. The police are no help because they’re convinced, with her history of mental illness, Becca has faked the rape to get away with her husband’s murder. On top of that, Becca has begun to have flashbacks of childhood abuse, possibly at the hands of the rapist. Not knowing where to turn, and feeling like she might go crazy again, Becca hires Psychologist, Sarah Abrams, to help her unearth who’s behind the crimes of the past…and the present.
Three men come into Becca’s life around the same time. While each of these men has his charms, Becca can’t be certain whether any one of them is the perpetrator. Or could it be someone else? Together Becca and Sarah start on a course of hypnotherapy to discover the abuser’s identity. Will their work reveal the real killer before it’s too late, or will Becca fall prey once again to this demented criminal?
- If you liked Out of the Shadow, please go to kindlescout.amazon.com/p/F60XI08Q1RS3 read excerpt and nominate Night of the Shadow, Shadow Series, Book 2, for publication with KindleScout. If chosen, you will get a FREE BOOK!
Spouse Trap
When Steven Ridley comes home in the middle of a weekday and throws a sheaf of damning photos at her, Madeline’s comfortable world collapses in a swirl of blackmail, sabotage and deceit. Hoping to convince Steven of her innocence, Madeline drives to his office and unwittingly stumbles onto a scene that makes her realize who the real enemy is.
From that point on, Madeline Ridley deconstructs herself, reverting back to Madeline Dawkins in order to salvage what’s left of her life. In the process, she discovers where her true strengths lay, and with those, she steels herself for the battle of a lifetime.
Spouse Trap is the first installment in the Madeline Dawkins series.
Forget Me Not
OVER 60,000 DOWNLOADS
A DEVOTED HUSBAND HAS PLANTED A CARPET OF FORGET-ME-NOTS IN MEMORY OF HIS WIFE WHO HAS RECENTLY DIED FROM COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING THE RAPID PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE – OR HAS SHE?
Greg Philips’ wife, Gloria, has recently died after suffering from chronic dementia leaving Susan, her long-lost illegitimate daughter, a large slice of her estate. But is Susan who she claims to be? And was Gloria mentally competent when she made her will or was she manipulated in some way?
Boston Investigator Mark Kane is hired to discover the truth, but as the investigation proceeds he soon finds himself embroiled in a murder mystery, and as the suspects mount up he needs all his wits about him to find out the truth, and prevent Greg’s adult sons from financial ruin or worse. But this is no ordinary murder – the suspects are all close to home; and Kane finds himself battling his own conscience as he tries to separate his duty to his client from both the legal and moral issues the investigation throws up.
As usual, Kane’s long-time companion Lucy is there to lend him a helping hand, but will she be able to help him solve the mystery?
TREASURE KILLS
Local legends Hayward Yost and Socrates Ninekiller suspect two renegade bikers of the murder. Others in the community are drawn into the mystery – a Wiccan who moves to town to pursue her New Age lifestyle; her bumbling, socially inept boyfriend women can’t seem to resist; a young Iraqi War veteran home to heal his physical and emotional wounds…
What reviewers are saying about Treasure Kills, Legends of Tsalagee:
“Fun story…rollicking good time” “Can’t put it down once you start” “thoroughly entertained by this book – lots of laughs” “characters could live in my hometown” “funniest book I’ve read in ages” “colorful characters and rich prose” “on the edge of my seat with suspense, but laughed out loud at some scenarios” “Carl Hiassen redux” “kept seeing this as delightful movie” “a mystery you may not solve until the end”
Legends of Tsalagee
Most consider the word Tsalagee a mystery. Dancy Rainwater, an old Cherokee woman, said it’s pronounced CHA-la-gee. But the mysteries and legends of Tsalagee, Oklahoma are many.
SLEEPY HOLLOW: General of the Dead
From the back cover:
JASON CRANE floats between life and death.
The HEADLESS HORSEMAN has taken the field
and AGATHE THE WITCH has taken KATE USHER.
The war for Sleepy Hollow has begun.
Now Jason and Kate must fight their way back.
Joey and Zef must defy The Appointed.
Or pumpkins will blaze on a midnight ride with the GENERAL OF THE DEAD
The Big Goodbye
A vulnerable woman being followed. A PI determined to protect her. Former lovers embroiled in an intense mystery thriller fraught with intrigue and danger. A sexy, romantic, suspenseful ride through the atmospheric 1940s.
Michael Lister’s acclaimed Jimmy “Soldier” Riley Noir Novels.
Here’s the story that started it all.
˃˃˃ THE BIG GOODBYE, a Jimmy “Soldier” Riley Noir Novel from multi-award-winning and bestselling author Michael Lister
“Lister’s hard-edged prose ranks with the best of contemporary noir fiction.” Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review of The Big Goodbye.
Walk the mean streets of wartime Panama City with Jimmy “Soldier” Riley, a wounded, woman-haunted knight errant in Michael Lister’s resonant new noir series Publisher’s Weekly calls “a promising private detective series set in 1940s Florida,” and Library Journal says “peppered with snappy dialog, this hard-boiled mystery by award winner Lister is a swell read.”
“Michael Lister has the world of Florida Panhandle noir all to himself. Tough, violent, and hard-boiled, This novel of obsession and suspense will remind you of Raymond Chandler, Graham Greene, and why you started reading crime novels in the first place.” John Dufresne
Someone is following Lauren Lewis.
She ducks into the office of PI, Jimmy “Soldier” Riley, not to hire him, but to find out if he’s the one following her. Back when they were lovers he told her if he ever decided to, she’d never know he was there.
It’s1940’s Panama City, Florida. The world is at war, and the growing panhandle paradise is doing its part. Tyndall Field is training pilots. Wainwright Shipyard is building battleships. The Naval Section Base is protecting vessels in the Gulf. The Dixie Sherman Hotel is hosting celebrities such as Clark Gable. Harry Lewis, a wealthy banker, is running for mayor, unaware his wife is running for her life.
With a secret to hide and a husband running for mayor in a city exploding and expanding like no other time in history, Lauren doesn’t want trouble, but she’s about to get a double-barrel full of it. Only one man can help her, and though it might destroy him, he doesn’t mind. Better to die than be the walking wounded.
˃˃˃ “Tight, taut, terrific PI noir with a classic and fully-realized 1940s setting. Michael Lister is one of those rare, gifted writers who can immerse you with his first sentence. The “Soldier” series is a treasure—don’t miss it!” Kelli Stanley
The Widow and the Will
Death by Dumplings
Upon returning home from her recent Smoky Mountain adventure, “Garden Girl” Gloria Rutherford wants nothing more than to relax and unwind on her farm. After a good night’s rest, she decides to catch up with her close friends, aka, The Garden Girls at their favorite hangout, Dot’s Restaurant.
There’s just one small problem. As Gloria pulls into the small town of Belhaven, she finds Dot’s place swarming with cops and the restaurant itself taped off with crime scene tape. Someone at the restaurant has been poisoned after eating Dot’s famous Chicken ‘n Dumplings!
Dot and her husband Ray, are devastated and now must try to clear their name. When they ask Gloria to help, she jumps right into detective-mode and is hot on the trail of another killer.
The list of suspects widens as Gloria uncovers a pile of motives – some from residents in their own little town.
Desperate to clear her good friends’ names, she discovers the killer may be a little too close for comfort.
Death Never Sleeps
The Original Alibi
The general hires Matt Kile to thaw this cold case. The solution of the crime is complicated by the passage of years and an excess of suspects, including the general’s grandson, the general’s promiscuous adult daughter, and even the general himself. All had means, motive, and opportunity. The Original Alibi is a big story told on a small stage, intimately portrayed primarily among the members of the Whittaker family and those who serve them. Of the secrets and strategies that fester inside an outwardly functional and famous family.
Matt Kile is a former homicide detective, and pardoned ex-con who, like several real-life former cops, has gone on to achieve success as a writer of mystery fiction. Matt’s efforts are aided by a colorful cast of Damon Runyonesque characters. Chief among them is Axel, Matt’s former cellmate whose parole, after more than thirty years in prison, had been advanced by Matt’s promise of a job. He is also helped by Hillie, a young inexperienced streetwalker Axel takes under his wing. Then there’s Bruno Grunsky, a former mob wheelman, and retired spinster Clara Birnbaum who makes pies in return for Axel’s favors. This mixed bag of characters add flavoring to the story, while each, in their own way, help Matt Kile determine the guilt or innocence of General Whittaker’s grandson.
A Dead End
Kit quickly finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation led by the handsome detective, Romeo Moretti. With the help of her new neighbors, Kit channels her former character, hotshot detective Ellie Gold, in order to solve the murder so she can get back to renovating her house and avoiding the Mayflower Madam, who also happens to be her hypercritical, gin-swilling mother.
Saints & Strangers cozy mystery series:
Book 1: A Dead End
Book 2: The Deep End
Book 3: The Bitter End
Castle Cay
Julie O’Hara is a complex, vibrant protagonist whose particular skill (she is a body language expert) is invaluable in helping her `read’ her suspects. But it is when the reader learns about her tragic past that Julie really starts to jump off the page.
One of the book’s main strengths is that even the supplementary characters feel fully fleshed out – they are dynamic and interesting – which makes it more than just a murder mystery as you are deeply involved with the various family members and friends (from the deceased’s relatives to Mafia members).
The author’s greatest success is in putting together such a complex plot while retaining the page-turning narrative that keeps the reader hooked. Sometimes when an author adds extra elements to a plot it can detract from the storytelling, but when Castle Cay sees the introduction of the upper echelons of law enforcement, this only serves to deepen the reader’s interest in this addictive novel.
This book is well worth reading – I will certainly be looking out for all future Julie O’Hara stories.
The Demise – A Mystery
Tiny Braxton, Tennessee, is a quiet, tight-knit community wrapped around an old town square just a stone’s throw from Nashville. But when the town’s most prominent citizen is found dead at the base of its water tower, news of Peter Lanham’s apparent suicide roars through town like a massive tsunami.
Peter, the handsome, beloved CEO of Lanham’s Fine Foods, had taken a small, family-owned grocery store founded in 1927, and grew it into a successful national chain. With most of Braxton’s residents employed by Lanham’s corporate headquarters, word of Peter’s demise left them searching for answers. What could possibly have made him take a swan dive off that tower?
Julie Parker is convinced he didn’t. As receptionist at Lanham’s executive office suite, she’s determined to find out what really happened to her boss. An aspiring actor who also stars as “The Lanham Girl” in the company’s TV commercials, Julie prides herself on her perceptive observations and people-skills. Who better to find out what happened to Peter up on that water tower?
Matt Bryson, on assignment as a rookie Special Agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, isn’t about to let the attractive receptionist intrude on his first case. She may be a hometown insider, but he’s got perfectly capable of solving the case without “Miss Marple” screwing up his investigation.
A perfect setting, a cast of oddball characters, and just enough drama to raise lots of suspicion. The stage is set.
Murder in the Worst Degree
“As always, all the plot lines are completed, and the ending is very satisfying. This is a great read and highly recommended.”
—Larry K. & Lorna Collins, author of The Memory Keeper
—
“doesn’t neglect the drama of her character’s lives in this most enjoyable short novel.”
—C.K. Crigger, author of Two Feet Below and Three Seconds to Thunder
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“Another 5 stars for Meredith! I like this book because it deals realistically and humanely with true crises or opportunities…special needs children, Alzheimer’s Disease, end-of-life decisions, and balancing careers and marriage.”
—J.L. Greger, author of Ignore the Pain
The Ex Who Wouldn’t Die
On the good side, at least they are no longer married.
But she’s the primary suspect in Charley’s murder and, as if that isn’t bad enough, Charley’s ghost shows up in her apartment. He was rejected, kicked back, not allowed to go into the light. The situation was bad enough when he was alive and trying to charm his way back into her life, but now he claims to be unable to go more than a few yards away from her. She can’t even be certain he isn’t peeking when she undresses for bed.
Even death did not them part.
As Amanda puts her life in danger in an effort to bring Charley’s murderer to justice and send him into the light or the dark or anywhere away from her, she learns her knowledge of Charley’s misdeeds is only the tip of a toxic iceberg. Charley blackmailed his murderer, blackmailed Amanda’s father, lied about his family being dead when he is actually related to half the town of Silver Creek, Texas, and, with his treachery, has stirred up secrets that will change Amanda’s life.
Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set
This set includes the first 4 books in the Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series:
Killer Cupcakes
Lexy Baker has finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriend and settled into her grandmothers house with her perky dog Sprinkles at her side. Things are going great … until her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery.
Suddenly Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunky neighbor detective Jack Perillo who figures her for the killer. Lexy takes it upon herself to find the real killer aided by a gang of iPad toting, would-be detective grandmothers.
As things heat up between Lexy and the hunky detective, the real killer closes in and there’s only one question to be answered — will Lexy get her man?
Dying For Danish
When Lexy Baker stumbles over the body of her high paying catering client, she finds herself in a race against time to find the killer. Aided by four iPad toting amateur detective grandma’s, her best friend and her little dog Sprinkles, Lexy finds the suspect list growing at every turn.
To make matters worse, the investigation is headed up by her hunky neighbor Detective Jack Perillo who she had been hot and heavy with – until he mysteriously stopped calling her several weeks earlier. Add in a handsome rich suspect, an angry gold digger ex-girlfriend and a suspicious son and you’ll see that Lexy has her work cut out for her.
Murder, Money and Marzipan
Lexy’s off to Las Vegas to compete in the prestigious Bakery Battles where, you guess it, she stumbles over another body. But not just any body. Contest judge Amanda Scott Saunders has been strangled with Lexy’s apron. The local police soon discover Lexy had means, motive and opportunity and Lexy must enlist the aid of her grandmother to help clear her name.
3 Bodies and A Biscotti
The bodies are piling up at the Brook Ridge Falls Retirement Center. Healthy people are dropping like flies. And yet no one believes a murderer is on the loose… except for Lexy Baker and the troupe of iPad-toting grandmothers who live at the center.
When Lexy’s detective boyfriend, Jack, refuses to believe that foul play is involved, Lexy has no choice but to find the killer on her own. Along with Nans and her gang of iPad-toting, mystery-solving grandmas, they use everything from hypnosis to high-tech gadgets to track down the killer.
Devil’s Party
Gavin Lassiter is the son of a business mogul and a member of an exclusive sex club called the Denegere Order. His existence is fast cars and faster women.
Gavin balances his sinful lifestyle by working as an crime reporter. When he decides to investigate a spree of murders, his carefree life is turn upside down and he becomes the main target.
The devil is in the details:
Fingerprints of a death row inmate are found at a fresh crime scene
His best friend’s father wants him dead
And old enemies are out for revenge
Gavin must stay one step ahead of murderous madman who has him in his sights.
The murder rate is rising…there’s no one to trust…
This is your invitation to the Devil’s Party
Cuts Like a Knife
Chicago has new resident, a heartless killer with a long and bloody history. When a successful young woman is found dead in her fashionable town home, a red flag goes up in Washington, D.C. The FBI knows an elusive “organized killer” is at work again. The problem is the Feds have only one tenuous lead to assist local police in the manhunt … a most unlikely place the killer likes to find his victims.
Kristen Conner is light as a feather but punches harder than most guys—growing up in a cop’s home, being a student of hand-to-hand combat, and not being able to shoot a handgun straight does that. Her life is built on faith and family: she coaches her 7-year-old niece’s soccer team, the Snowflakes, when she isn’t fighting with her partner, police department brass, and most of all, her glamorous TV news reporter sister—or looking for the man who is terrorizing the women of her city.
She’s a good cop but she’s never faced an adversary like this. From the opening chase scene that leads Kristen to a back alley where a punk with a knife awaits her, to the climactic scene where she goes one-on-one with the hauntingly familiar man who is killing innocent women in her town, Cuts Like a Knife, is loaded with action, humor, and wry introspection through the voice of its irrepressible lead character.
Rosemary’s Gravy
She needs the job, so she puts up with her boss’s diva antics and halfheartedly fends off the advances of the impossibly sexy stepson who comes with the high-paying gig. Then someone decides to kill the miserable movie star. It’s bad news for any chef when a client dies from an allergic reaction after eating your cooking. It’s even worse news for Rosemary because the police are determined to charge her with murder.
To restore her reputation (and stay out of prison), Rosemary has to find the real murderer–and fast. Her short list of suspects includes a womanizing race car driver, a powerful music producer, Hollywood’s hottest leading man, and, oh yeah, Felix, the dead woman’s stepson–which gets a little awkward when he and Rosemary start dating.
After a romantic dinner with Felix ends in food poisoning, she finds herself unattached, unemployed, and once again on the wrong side of the LAPD. She knows how to salvage an oversalted sauce, but can she salvage the disaster that is her life? And will the hunky homicide detective help her–or book her?
If you love Rosemary’s Gravy, be sure to check out Sage of Innocence and Thyme to Live!
Grandkids Gone Wild
“Garden Girl” Gloria Rutherford, has her hands full. Her mischievous and energetic grandsons are coming for a weekend visit. To top things off, she discovers someone is living in her barn. But who and why?
As this amateur sleuth investigates what’s going on in her own backyard, another murder victim turns up in their sleepy little town.
Hot on the trail of a murderer, trying her best to make sure her grandkids don’t end up in the ER and facing a budding romance, Gloria and her small town of Belhaven are once again about to be turned upside down.
Rose Hill
When rich and rotten Theo Eldridge is found bludgeoned to death in the local veterinary clinic, Rose Hill police chief Scott Gordon is forced to work with ambitious county investigator Sarah Albright. Unfortunately Sarah seems more interested in seducing Scott than in solving the crime.
Scott’s crazy about Maggie Fitzpatrick, but she’s still grieving over the mysterious disappearance of the love of her life. Although determined to resist the powerful chemistry between them, Maggie finds herself deeply involved with Scott’s investigation, and battling emotions she can no longer deny.
It’s a bitterly cold January in Rose Hill. As Scott and Maggie untangle the sticky web of Theo’s shady business dealings, they uncover dark secrets that may connect Theo’s murder to another committed twenty years before.
Rusty Nail – A Thriller
Someone is sending Jack snuff videos. The victims are people she knows, and they share a common trait — each was involved in one of Jack’s previous cases. With her stalwart partner hospitalized and unable to help, Jack follows a trail of death throughout the Midwest, on a collision course with the smartest and deadliest adversary she’s ever known.
During the chase, Jack jeopardizes her career, her love life, and her closest friends. She also comes to a startling realization — serial killers have families, and blood runs thick.
Rusty Nail features more of the laugh-out-loud humor and crazy characters that saturated Whiskey Sour and Bloody Mary, without sacrificing the nail-biting thrills. This is Jack Daniels’s third, and most exciting, adventure yet.
Whiskey Sour
While avoiding the FBI and its moronic profiling computer, joining a dating service, mixing it up with street thugs, and parrying the advances of an uncouth PI, Jack and her binge-eating partner, Herb, must catch the maniac before he kills again…and Jack is next on his murder list.
Whiskey Sour is the first book in the bestselling Jack Daniels series, full of laugh-out-loud humor and edge-of-your-seat suspense.
Whiskey Rebellion
In Whiskey Bayou, Georgia, the humidity is thick, the gossip juicy, and family is everything. For Addison Holmes, she’s just trying to get by, and teaching history to a bunch of hormonal teenagers isn’t exactly lining her pockets. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Who would’ve guessed her principal would be in the audience of the strip club that hired her
Addison is almost positive her life can’t get any worse. Until she stumbles over her principal’s dead body in the parking lot. There’s no way Whiskey Bayou won’t hear about that juicy tidbit, which means she’s likely to be out of a job.
Thank goodness for Kate McClean. Addison’s best friend owns The McClean Detective Agency, and sometimes it’s good to have friends in high places. Or at least places that can offer a girl a job to spy on low-lifes and adulterers. But when her principal’s murder intersects with her new job, this gum-shoe learns fast that she knows nothing about catching bad guys. Fortunately, the sexy detective in charge is there to lend a hand.
The Coconut Swindle
But when the former villain turned PI takes the case he’ll discover that the truth has more sides than a diamond has facets. And in order to get to it Dane will follow a trail that leads through an old enemy with a bagful of grudges, a killer who specializes in assassinating super villains, and a wealthy socialite with a murky motive. A thorny maze indeed, and sitting at its heart, mysteriously returned from years in hiding, is Dane’s very own daughter.
Will Dane Curse discover the thieves’ secret in time to solve the case, save his agency, and protect his only child from a vicious death? Or will he lose it all, just another victim of The Coconut Swindle?
In this follow up to the critically acclaimed Dane Curse, Matt Abraham, winner of Pulp Detective’s 2015 Newcomer of the Year Award, takes us on our second trip through Gold Coast City. It’s Dane’s very first case, the one that made the agency, but almost broke the man. If you like white knuckled action, devious dames, and heroic villains then get your copy today, and saddle up with the most exciting detective since Harry Dresden!
Under The Ice: A Gus LeGarde Mystery
After escaping her abusive husband, life is finally good for Camille LeGarde and her daughter, Shelby. She has a great relationship with her new husband, Gus, who also loves Shelby like his own child. But the LeGarde family’s fragile oasis is shattered when the man of Camille’s nightmares is released from prison.
Greg Robinson never wanted to be a father. But he’s playing the biological card for all it’s worth to get close to Shelby, so he can realize his true goal—revenge against Gus LeGarde, the man who “stole” his wife and daughter.
Lured by the promise of connecting with her real dad, Shelby vanishes, sending Gus and Camille on a desperate race through the worst ice storm of the century to find her before Robinson can act on his chilling threat…
“If I can’t have them, neither can you.”
A Christmas Mystery (A Short Story)
Was Helen a ghost? As Josie begins to investigate, she discovers that Helen was a real person. In fact, she was Josie’s great-grandmother, a woman who abandoned her young son and her husband to become a chorus girl in Atlantic City. But is the family history regarding Helen true, or a story concocted by her husband to cover her murder?
When Josie receives a foreclosure notice and realizes they are about to lose their house, it’s just the beginning of a bad Christmas Eve. When circumstances threaten to ruin their Christmas, Josie and Hank discover that the old abandoned house across the street may hold the key to the mystery surrounding Helen’s appearance, and to finding the money they need to save their family’s home.
Some corrections and revisions have been made, but they do not change the story. This ebook contains excerpts from A.L. Jambor’s The House on the Shore and My First Christmas starring Libby the Psychic Dog.
Once Gone
Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.
Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.
A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.
Book #2 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.
The Fallen Body
Cleansed by Fire
He doesn’t know which church, when, or by whom. Still, he can’t sit idly by, and no law prevents him from looking into the matter himself. The crimes have set the town’s residents on edge, fraying the bonds of trust. Is the mysterious newcomer with ties to the drug scene involved? What about the man who says maybe the churches deserved to burn? Or the school drop-out into alcohol and drugs who attacks the priest with a knife?
Countering this are a young widow whose mission is to make others shine, and a youth choir determined to help those whose churches have been destroyed by the arsonist.
Father Frank’s investigation leads him dangerously close to the local drug scene and he soon discovers the danger has come to him. Can he save his own church? Can he save his own life?
Winter’s Bite
Is your worst enemy the one looking back at you from the mirror?
“Parry’s descriptions are as varied as they are rich, from the scents of Abhaya’s Indian healing herbs to the sounds of London’s bustling streets and the opulence in the British royalty. A sizeable cast of beautifully developed, memorable characters makes solving the mystery even more deliciously puzzling, and readers will be guessing to the surprising end.
Imaginative and touching; like India, a sparkling jewel in the crown.”
Kirkus Reviews, January 2013.
“I absolutely adored this! Bursting with beautiful writing and insanely lovable characters, Isabella Rockwell’s War is perfect for anyone who enjoys historical middle grade! I desperately want to read more from this author.”
Samantha Randolph, I Heart YA Fiction Blogspot.com.
“Isabella Rockwell’s War offers an enticing blend of an historical novel, nineteenth century England, strong-willed heroines, and/or real life fairy tales.”
Indie Reader, July 2014.
Tahoe Blue Fire
When Tahoe Detective Owen McKenna gets a call from a woman who’s afraid for her life, it sounds like she is excessively paranoid.
But The Killer Was Dead Serious
McKenna investigates and discovers that two other people have already died. He believes the killer is after something worth millions, a precious artifact that dates back to Renaissance Italy.
The Next Potential Victim Is Famous
When McKenna finds a connection between the victims and a famous retired pro football tackle named Adam Simms, he worries that Simms will be the next victim.
McKenna’s Only Suspect Is Losing His Mind
Simms seems gentle as a teddy bear. But decades of football gave Simms Traumatic Brain Injury, causing loss of memory and worse. When Simms can’t remember details of his relationship to the other victims, McKenna begins to wonder if it’s because Simms is suffering dementia or if he’s a diabolical fake.
The Murderer Is As Devious As He Is Twisted
As McKenna pursues the case, he will need every bit of strength and skill, for the murderer is determined to kill McKenna in the most vicious way imaginable…
Killing Me Softly
Over a year later, Tracy’s sister, Sondra, still can’t come to grips with what happened. She throws herself into her work as a documentary filmmaker to try and forget the cruelty of her sister’s death. However, a chance encounter with a man from Tracy’s past rips the wound open and sends Sondra on a desperate search for answers about the secrets from her sister’s life that may have led to her death.
As Sondra struggles to uncover what happened to Tracy, she’s launched into a tangled web of deceit and danger that put her on a collision course with life and death…
A Dead Red Alibi
Scraps of Paper
“Scraps of Paper is a well-constructed mystery with just the right mix of good guys and bad guys, with a sprinkling of oddballs and misfits thrown in. Kathryn Meyer Griffin does a nice job of allowing the friendship of the book’s two main characters to develop as the story progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good who-done-it, set in a picturesque environment with believable characters. This is the first book in a series the author calls ‘The Spookie Town Mysteries’.” 5 Stars Reviewed by Michael McManus for Readers’ Favorite May 17, 2013 (Second in the series: ALL THINGS SLIP AWAY)
Snippet of NOVELSPOT Review for Scraps of Paper:
“The premise behind this story intrigued me. Old houses have their own history-bad and good. What would you do if, while you were renovating an old house, you found an intriguing mystery, even if it was years old? If you had a chance of solving that mystery, would you? Or would you leave it buried in the past? Would you want someone digging in your past, your tragedies? If someone you loved just disappeared, what would you do?
Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Scraps of Paper is an engaging story of what happens when you go digging into the past and the possible consequences. It also has an underlying story about dealing with what life hands you and finding the strength to move on. Both Frank and Abby are strong characters they have had to deal with the loss of a loved one and to learn to deal with that loss. You find yourself drawn to them and to all the quirky people who live in the little town of Spookie. In the end you want to know what happened in the old house so many years earlier. I’ll be looking forward to more books about this quaint little town.”
Reviewed By Theresa at NOVELSPOT © March 2006 (9 out of 10 rating)
*****
Abigail Sutton’s beloved husband walks out one night, doesn’t return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of an earlier crime. It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.
Starting her new life, Abigail moves to a small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.
But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.
Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer. ***
***This book is the first of a series. The second and third books, All Things Slip Away and Ghosts Beneath Us, where Abigail and Frank’s sleuthing adventures continue, are also for sale on Amazon.
The Anonymous Source
ONE YEAR AFTER the 9/11 attacks, Alex Vane–a brilliant, fitness-obsessed reporter for The New York Standard–wants nothing more than to break into the flashy world of TV news. But when he uncovers the scoop of a lifetime, his tightly controlled world is rocked: his editor buries his story, a source turns up dead, and Alex finds himself at the center of a violent media conspiracy.
AS HE RECEIVES TIPS from a mysterious source, Alex enlists the help of a captivating professor, Camila Gray. Aided by an Internet genius, a billionaire’s sexy widow, and a washed-up sports reporter, Alex and Camila discover a $500-million secret that could derail the largest media merger in history.
IT’S A SECRET THAT unearths dark memories from Alex’s past. It’s a secret that leads back to the morning of 9/11. And it’s a secret that could get them both killed.
IN HIS DEBUT THRILLER, A.C. Fuller brings you a young journalist chasing the biggest story of his career–from the courtrooms of New York City to the beaches of Hawaii, from a crowded newsroom to a lavish boardroom at the top of a media empire.
Murder Al Dente: A Southern Pasta Shop Mystery
Pretty please with spaghetti on top?
Andy Buckland has always dreamed of being a chef. But after a live studio audience is stricken with food poisoning during her debut cooking show, she finds herself blacklisted in the culinary community. The only job open to her is working in her family’s southern pasta shop, and, to make matters worse, her first assignment is serving baked ziti to her former lover and his spoiled bride-to-be at their engagement party! But a broken heart and a bruised ego are the least of Andy’s troubles when she discovers a dead body at the party with the words “welcome home” written in flour next to it. Is it a warning? A threat? Or a frame-up job? Andy is determined to find out. With the help of her over-the-top Italian family, Andy will prove that she has what it takes to not only cook the best dish in town but also catch a killer, too!
**Recipes included!**
Southern Pasta Shop Mysteries:
Murder Al Dente – book #1
Murder À La Flambé – book #2
Christmas Al Dente (holiday short story)
What critics are saying about Jennifer L. Hart’s books:
“A must read for all people who love a good mystery and a jolly good laugh…laugh out loud funny.”
—Black Orchid, Cocktail Reviews
“Laugh out loud funny, realistic characters, snappy true to life dialog, and a sufficiently difficult mystery; all the required elements for an excellent read.”
—Manic Readers
“I would not hesitate to pick up another of Ms. Hart’s works as she definitely made me with one book a lifelong fan.”
—Joyfully Reviewed
Skeletons in the Closet
While Maggie struggles to prove the man’s innocence, her deadbeat brother arrives, determined to sell Maggie and Neil on his next great scheme and to mooch with a vengeance. If that isn’t bad enough, her in-laws, (the cut-throat corporate attorneys) descend on the house, armed with disapproval and condemnation, for the family’s annual Thanksgiving celebration.
As the police investigation intensifies, Maggie searches for the killer among the upper echelon of Hudson, Massachusetts in the only way she can— by scrubbing their thrones.
Of the porcelain variety, that is…
A really enjoyable read—laugh out loud funny—one that I’m glad to have had the privilege to review. I look forward to more of Ms. Hart’s work. Excellent!
-Cocktail Reviews
“a wonderfully fun whodunit”
-ParaNormalRomance.org
A Night Owl Romance Top Pick!
The Stages: A Novel
“[Satterlee’s] debut places the solution to a mystery in the hands of someone whose own mind is a mystery, most of all to himself. Here’s hoping [he] will give Daniel another go.” Kirkus
“Within a few pages, I fell in love with this book…an ambitious undertaking and couldn’t have been done better.” Suspense Magazine
“Satterlee’s writing gifts are enormous. The author of the highly acclaimed poetry collection Burning Wyclif, he is adept at rendering Kierkegaard’s dense philosophy not only readable, but exquisite.” Mystery Scene
Blue Molly
Danny Logan is back in action!
Get your copy of the latest adventure from Seattle author M.D. Grayson
Someone wants to buy Sylvia and Mike Lyon’s Pioneer Square office building in downtown Seattle and whoever it is won’t take “no” for an answer. With their building being vandalized and their tenant’s being driven away, the Lyon’s do what many Seattleites have done for the past six years when they need help: they hire Logan Private Investigations. The mission: find out who’s behind the harassment and make them stop.
Danny Logan, Toni Blair, Doc Kiahtel, and Kenny Hale swing into action and soon find themselves facing off against a brutal drug lord – a man with a brilliantly diabolical plan to take his Seattle Ecstasy business nationwide. He’s ruthless, driven, and all too willing to resort to violence to accomplish his goals. But now, he has a problem – a problem named Danny Logan.
Action packed yet humorous, set in Seattle’s historical Pioneer Square, Blue Molly is a story that will captivate you from start to finish.
- 5: The number of installments in the Danny Logan mystery series – with more coming!
- 280,000: The number of Danny Logan mystery novels downloaded worldwide – and growing daily!
- 4.4: The worldwide average reader rating for Danny Logan mystery novels – with nearly 1,000 reviews!
Toward Night’s End
Seattle detective Elroy Johnstone has come to the island to investigate the murders, and evidence is leading him to suspect Matthew may be involved. But he is one step behind as Matthew escapes on his fishing boat. With Matthew now emerging as the prime suspect in the murders, the detective’s investigation then takes him to Seattle where another murder has occurred. This time a Japanese-American.
Complicating matters, the coroner finds that both the Japanese-American and one of the Caucasian men have identical tattoos, both on the left ankle. But what do these tattoos mean? And who has killed these three men? Matthew? And if so, why? And most important, where is Matthew?
Johnstone’s investigation will take him from Seattle’s Naval Air Station to the Manzanar Relocation Center in Owens Valley, California, and back to Bainbridge Island. And, although he doesn’t know it, the clock is ticking and a countdown is in place for an event that could result in the unthinkable taking place Toward Night’s End.
M.H. Sargent is also the author of the CIA thriller MP-5 series Seven Days From Sunday, The Shot To Die For, Operation Spider Web, The Yemen Connection and Alliance of Evil.
HABIT
The body of a young woman is found in a remote farmhouse. Her death exposes a web of dark secrets
“Over 200 five-star reviews!”
“Detective Brendan Healy solves a complex case, facing his own demons, in a brilliant police procedural with a dark conspiracy in the background.” Sarah Victor
“Complex, beautifully drawn characters, twists and turns, great atmosphere, a real page turner.” Beth Boyd
Who killed Rebecca Heilshorn?
Rebecca Heilshorn, lies stabbed to death in her bed in a remote, upstate New York farmhouse. Rookie detective Brendan Healy is called in to investigate. All hell breaks loose when her brother bursts onto the scene. Rebecca turns out to have many secrets and connections to a sordid network mixing power, wealth, and sex.
Detective Brendan Healy, trying to put his demons behind him, pursues a dangerous investigation that will risk both his life and his sanity.
Habit is a compelling mystery which will appeal to all fans of crime fiction. T.J. Brearton amps up the tension at every step, until the shocking and gripping conclusion.
Perfect for fans of Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbo, or Dennis Lehane novels.
Bellingwood Boxed Set
All Roads Leads Home: Polly Giller returns to small-town Iowa from Boston ready to start a new life. She is renovating an old school building and while getting to know new friends, two sets of bones fall out of the ceiling. Don’t miss this heartwarming first story in a series that makes you want to move to Bellingwood and get to know Polly and her friends. Before you know it, you’ll be part of the community.
Polly’s First Christmas in Bellingwood: This first short story in the series occurs a few months after the end of “All Roads Lead Home.” While preparing for Sycamore House’s first big Christmas party, an old friend shows up needing help when he gets in trouble with the sheriff.
A Big Life in a Small Town: Bellingwood’s first barn-raising is coming up and to celebrate, Sycamore House is planning a hoe-down. The idea of a dance makes Polly nervous, but the gorgeous veterinarian is ready to step in and teach her a few moves, much to the chagrin of Henry Sturtz. A close friend of Lydia Merritt left a cryptic message as she died, asking her family to take care of … what? The ‘what’ brings new excitement to Polly’s life.
Treasure Uncovered: Sycamore House is having difficulty finding a good custodian and when the latest man doesn’t show up for work, Polly checks on him, only to find that he has been killed. The Sheriff is beginning to worry every time her number shows up on his phone. Does it mean another dead body? Thefts happening around the community are connected to Polly and her friends, but who would do this?
Foreign Deceit: A David Wolf Mystery
Sergeant David Wolf has put his Special Forces days long behind him, settling down as a cop in the small ski resort town of Rocky Points, Colorado. He’s a good cop who’s seen bad days before, but none quite like this.
As if narrowly escaping an attempt on his life, his addict ex-wife being back in the picture, and complications to his all-but-certain appointment to Sheriff weren’t enough, he’s just received word that his brother has committed suicide in the Alps of Italy.
Devastation and resentment over his only sibling’s selfish act quickly gives way to a nagging suspicion that he isn’t getting the whole truth. Conviction alone is enough to pull Wolf from pressing events in his ski resort home of Rocky Points, Colorado, to the entirely foreign land of Northern Italy, and into a more deadly situation than he could have possibly imagined.
With the help of a beautiful young officer of the Carabinieri, Wolf must piece together the mystery of his brother’s last fateful night without ruffling too many feathers, or paying the ultimate price.
A gritty tale of international mystery and action, Foreign Deceit is the first in the popular David Wolf mystery series, which always provide a visceral adventure that will keep you guessing until the final pages.
Jackpot
“Frank Renzi is investigating the latest case of a serial killer targeting female lottery winners. The story is thrilling and gripping … and builds to an effective and tense climax.” Julia Hopkinson – Readers’ Favorite.
The Friday Edition
Snow isn’t all that’s falling in Denver, Colorado on Christmas Eve.
A beautiful, young district attorney tumbles from her balcony to her death.
Police suspect suicide, but the DA’s sister, newspaper reporter Samantha Church, isn’t buying it.
Samantha discovers evidence linking her sister to a drug smuggling case and quickly learns she has stumbled onto a major news story. She must summon the courage to not only face a cartel of criminals, but her own fears and shortcomings when she is confronted by the inescapable specter of a far greater enemy—her addiction to alcohol. Samantha’s dependency has not only cost her job at a major metropolitan daily, but, worse, custody of her daughter, April.
Samantha pursues her sister’s killers, maneuvering through a minefield of intrigue deliberately set out to divert her from the truth. Despite being betrayed, physically beaten and facing the possibility of sharing her sister’s fate, Samantha refuses to stop her investigation. However, when the killers threaten to harm April, Samantha realizes that, for her daughter’s sake, she can no longer continue the investigation on her own. She knows she must swallow her pride and turn to her ex-husband and police detective, Jonathan Church, for help.
Can Samantha ultimately prevail—find her sister’s killer, write the story of her career, confront her drinking problem, and finally begin to change her life, or will she and April become the killer’s next victims?
Last Shot
By Mike Faricy
Last Shot is the SIXTH offbeat (and very funny) mystery in the Dev Haskell Private Investigator series.
Dysfunctional PI Dev Haskell receives a request from beautiful, red-headed Desi Quinn to investigate the trumped-up charges that ruined her life and sent her to prison six years ago. Desi’s life was destroyed after a brief relationship with upstanding citizen, Man-of-the-Year Gaston Driscoll, who just happened to be her boss. She views Dev as her last hope–her last shot–but the impossibly dangerous scenario she describes makes Dev think the investigation would be out of his league; he politely declines.
As Desi’s story slowly unravels, Dev realizes (under a mountain of guilt) that he made a huge mistake. He embarks on a mission to make things right, only to become a killer’s next target. An entertaining tale of intrigue, rank ineptitude, and raucously entertaining one night stands, Last Shot is another funny, fast paced, engrossing thriller from Minnesota’s master of the bizarre.
Still Life With Murder
By P.B. and Patricia Ryan
“P.B. Ryan makes a stunning debut with Still Life with Murder, bringing Nineteenth Century Boston alive, from its teeming slums to the mansions on Boston Common, and populating it with a vivid and memorable cast of characters. The fascinating heroine, Nell Sweeney, immediately engages the reader and I couldn’t put the book down until I discovered the truth along with her. I can’t wait for the next installment.”
—Bestselling author Victoria Thompson
Boston, 1868: The dawn of the Gilded Age, an era of burgeoning commerce and invention, of unimaginable new fortunes and lavish excess—for some. Born into dismal poverty, young Nell Sweeney scratches by on her wits and little else until fortune blesses her with a position as nursery governess to the fabulously wealthy Hewitts. But she soon learns that ugly secrets lurk beneath the surface of their gold-plated world.
The Hewitts’ eldest son, William, a former Union Army battle surgeon and the black sheep of the family, was reported to have died three years before in a notorious Confederate prison camp. But one snowy February afternoon, his parents learn that he is, in fact, still alive—and in jail for having murdered a man while intoxicated on opium. Infuriated by his son’s deception and convinced of his guilt, August Hewitt forbids his wife from coming to Will’s aid, so she begs Nell to help exonerate him. Nell finds that she must delve into the kind of dark and treacherous underworld she thought she’d left far behind if she is to unearth the truth before the hangman’s noose tightens around William Hewitt’s throat.
Originally published by Berkley Prime Crime
“What a thoroughly charming book! A beautiful combination of entertaining characters, minute historical research, and a powerful evocation of time and place. I’m very glad there will be more to come.”
—New York Times bestselling author Barbara Hambly
“P.B. Ryan captures an authentic flavor of post-Civil War Boston as she explores that city’s dark underbelly and the lingering after-effects of the war. The atmosphere is that of The Alienist, but feisty Irish nursemaid Nell Sweeney is a more likable protagonist. I look forward to seeing her in action again.”
—New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen
“Still Life with Murder is a skillfully written story of intrigue and murder set during Boston’s famous Gilded Age. Nell Sweeney, governess and part-time nurse, is a winning heroine gifted with common sense, grit, and an underlying poignancy. With its rich sense of place and time and a crisp, intelligent plot, readers will speed through this tale and be clamoring for more.”
—Bestselling author Earlene Fowler
“Utterly absorbing. Vividly alive characters in a setting so clearly portrayed that one could step right into it. A very clever plot in which each clue is clearly offered and yet the identity of the murderer is a complete surprise. I look forward to many more books…”
—Bestselling author Roberta Gellis
“If you like fast moving, accurately drawn, historical mysteries, you won’t go wrong by trying Still Life with Murder.”
—Reviewing the Evidence
“This debut mystery is a winner, with a feisty heroine, a colorful historical backdrop and a strong mystery rife with complexities. An ideal blend of history and mystery.”
—RT BookReviews
“Still Life with Murder is sheer perfection… gripping… powerful… unforgettable… You’ll know you’ve read one hell of a story after you turn the last page!”
—Reader to Reader Reviews
About the Author: Patricia Ryan, a.k.a. P.B. Ryan, is the USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including the #1 national bestseller Still Life with Murder. Pat’s books have garnered rave reviews and been published in over twenty countries. Sign up for Pat’s newsletter at pb-ryan.com.
Power in the Blood
By Michael Lister
Was it murder, accident, or suicide? A baffling case. A brilliant detective. An introduction to an insightful, sympathetic, spiritual, and utterly unique investigator. John Jordan is a cop in a clerical collar haunted by his past—a man of mercy who also thirsts for justice.
“Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity.” Michael Connelly
The first novel in the popular, award-winning, and critically-acclaimed John Jordan mystery series.
Too often, a “Christian” mystery isn’t Christian at all. It may include a clergyman sleuth or a church setting, but the Christian faith has no bearing on anyone’s conduct. Happily, that is not true here.
POWER IN THE BLOOD is Michael Lister’s first novel. It relates Fr. John Jordan’s initial year as the prison chaplain at Potter Correctional Institution in north Florida. Raised in the area by his daddy, the sheriff, Jordan has returned after a disastrous fall from grace. He’s now divorced, a recovering alcoholic, and followed by rumors of scandal. He’s delighted to discover, however, that he likes ministering to these “low lifes” better than the wealthy Atlanta congregation he lost.
Lister is himself a prison chaplain. His mystery (the death of a prisoner trying to escape in an unlikely way) and its surroundings witness to his experience. The prison wants a quiet investigation of the death of Ike Johnson and drafts Jordan to assist, because of his rapport with the inmates. As it becomes obvious that only a prison employee could have arranged such a death, Jordan’s life and the lives of his closest friends are seriously endangered.
When he’s not worrying about getting killed, he’s coping with his alcoholic mother, a new romantic interest who can’t believe he intends to remain celibate until marriage, and pressure from powerful townspeople. Prayer, a desire to care for God’s weakest children, and a growing commitment to his vocation help Jordan fight back to a solution. I hope this isn’t the last appearance of this thoughtful sleuth.
We may never face murder, but this Christian “detective” can teach us how to apply our faith in situations of stress and fear. Not bad for “light” reading!
Saints & Strangers
By Richelle Elberg
“Set in Plymouth, Massachusetts and steeped in early Colony history, Saints & Strangers marks the debut in the Sam Warren series: Part Murder Mystery, Part Chick Lit Romance and Part Early American History Lesson.”
When a young woman is hanged at Plimoth Plantation just weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, budding private investigator Sam Warren is determined to prove herself by solving the mystery.
But as the bodies pile up and Sam and her hunky friend Milo look for answers, they’re drawn into a puzzle with pieces that date back nearly 400 years – and down a path which may lead straight back to Sam.
With an irresistibly attractive man, a Bombay kitty, a nosy neighbor and a cranky cop on her team, Sam sets out to stop the killings before the turkey is done.
Death Comes eCalling
By Leslie O’Kane
Meet Molly Masters, a zany mother and accidental sleuth who owns a one-woman business that creates humorous eCards. After a twenty-year absence, Molly has relocated her family to her childhood home in a suburb of Albany, NY, only to have her husband’s reassignment abruptly changed to overseas.
Molly’s least-favorite high school teacher dies on the very same day that Molly receives both a letter from that teacher and an anonymous email that threatens Molly’s life. All too soon, Molly finds herself knee deep in gossip…and murder.
This is the second book I’ve read of Leslie O’Kane. Just finished reading Woof at the Door previously to this one. Might I add that this one was just as good if not better. Molly Master has a way with words. She can be quite the humorous character. Never would have guessed who the murderer was. I would recommend both books to read. Thank you Leslie….
I like humor along with my mystery. Molly’s a mother, has her own eCard business, and does sleuthing on the side. I loved the humor and that the mystery wasn’t predictable. I highly recommend “Death Comes eCalling”!
Saints & Strangers
By Richelle Elberg
“Set in Plymouth, Massachusetts and steeped in early Colony history, Saints & Strangers marks the debut in the Sam Warren series: Part Murder Mystery, Part Chick Lit Romance and Part Early American History Lesson.”
When a young woman is hanged at Plimoth Plantation just weeks before the Thanksgiving holiday, budding private investigator Sam Warren is determined to prove herself by solving the mystery.
But as the bodies pile up and Sam and her hunky friend Milo look for answers, they’re drawn into a puzzle with pieces that date back nearly 400 years – and down a path which may lead straight back to Sam.
With an irresistibly attractive man, a Bombay kitty, a nosy neighbor and a cranky cop on her team, Sam sets out to stop the killings before the turkey is done
Who Murdered Mr. Malone?
By Hope Callaghan
BOX SET AVAILABLE NOW—SAVE! – Garden Girls Cozy Mysteries: Box Set-Books 1-3
Who Murdered Mr. Malone? Book 1 of the Garden Girls Christian Cozy Mystery Series
BONUS-RECIPE INCLUDED!
Nothing exciting ever happens in the small town of Belhaven, Michigan. Nothing that is, until a body was found in the woods behind the local elementary school.
With the entire town in an uproar, “Garden Girl” Gloria Rutherford makes it her personal mission to find the killer or killers and solve the mystery with some help from her friends.
With a little amateur detective work, Gloria is able to uncover enough clues that point right to the murderer.
She’s about to discover, however, things aren’t always as clear cut as they would appear.
“Alcohol Was Not Involved”
By Teresa Duncan
“Alcohol Was Not Involved”
FBI Special Agents Roger Dance and Paul Casey track a cold-blooded serial killer that is terrorizing the Notre Dame community of South Bend and leaving a blood soaked trail all the way to New Orleans. Beautiful women are vanishing, found murdered and dumped like trash along the highways. The mysterious killer’s body count keeps rising and Roger is out of time.
This gripping crime thriller bubbles with a web of evil plots until it reaches a full boil. Criminals and law enforcement brace for a final showdown in the action-packed novel. A paranormal element in the story introduces ‘almost’ angels assigned to help Roger obtain justice. This novel is a roller coaster of horror and humor that races forward up to the final pages of the trilogy.
For Roger and Paul (and the FBI) law enforcement will never be the same.
Bloody Lessons
By M. Louisa Locke
In Bloody Lessons, it’s the winter of 1880, and the teachers of San Francisco are under attack: their salaries slashed and their competency and morals questioned in a series of poison pen letters.
Annie Fuller, the reluctant clairvoyant, has been called in to investigate by Nate Dawson, her lawyer beau, and the case becomes personal when they discover that Laura, Nate’s sister, may be one of the teachers targeted for attack.
In this third installment in the Victorian San Francisco Mystery series, readers will find the same blend of a cozy mystery and romantic suspense, played out against the historical backdrop of late 19th century San Francisco, that they found in Maids of Misfortune and Uneasy Spirits.
If you are new to this series, you will still enjoy spending time with the lively residents of Annie Fuller’s boarding house and visiting San Francisco when Golden Gate Park was filled with horse-drawn carriages, politics were controlled by saloon-keepers, and kisses were stolen under gaslight.
Power in the Blood
By Michael Lister
Was it murder, accident, or suicide? A baffling case. A brilliant detective. An introduction to an insightful, sympathetic, spiritual, and utterly unique investigator. John Jordan is a cop in a clerical collar haunted by his past—a man of mercy who also thirsts for justice.
“Michael Lister may be the author of the most unique series running in mystery fiction. It crackles with tension and authenticity.” Michael Connelly
The first novel in the popular, award-winning, and critically-acclaimed John Jordan mystery series.
˃˃˃ POWER IN THE BLOOD a John Jordan novel from award-winning and bestselling author Michael Lister
Witness the series Florida Weekly calls “a treasure of contemporary literature–suspenseful, provocative, and unsettling,” and bestselling author Julia Spencer-Fleming says is “one of the most ambitious and unusual crime fiction series going. See what crime fiction is capable of.”
In POWER IN THE BLOOD, ex-cop John Jordan, now a prison chaplain in the Florida Panhandle, witnesses the bloody death of Potter Correctional Institution inmate Ike Johnson. But what exactly did he witness? Murder, accident, or suicide? Jordan discovers that in the closed society of captives and captors no act goes unseen, and no one takes kindly to a cop in a collar. He soon finds his reputation, his career, and even his life are at stake.
“Another great ride with a very assured driver behind the wheel.” Michael Connelly
Offering up both the sacred as well as the profane, POWER IN THE BLOOD is a thoughtful thriller and a suspenseful mystery you won’t want to miss!
“Eerie, cinematic, finely-wrought, unflinching, suspenseful, complex, and original, POWER IN THE BLOOD is a page-turner with a soul.” Lisa Unger
If you love exciting, gritty, thoughtful mysteries, don’t miss Michael Lister’s POWER IN THE BLOOD.
Carrots
By Colleen Helme
Carrots: A Shelby Nichols Adventure
Shelby Nichols is an average woman who is married to the only guy she ever fell for. Her life is organized and predictable, revolving around her husband and two children. All that changes the day she stops at the grocery store for some carrots. As the cashier rings up her purchases, a gunman is busy robbing the bank inside the store. When a customer grabs the robber’s mask, he is shot and everyone runs for cover. Everyone except Shelby, who finds herself face to face with the killer. The next thing she knows, she’s lying on the floor with a bullet wound to her head. Luckily, the bullet only grazes her scalp, and she doesn’t suspect any lasting affects until later, when she suddenly ‘hears’ what people are thinking. With this uncanny ability, her life takes on a whole new dimension. Her kids think she’s bossy and too old to understand them, but that’s nothing compared to her husband. He says he loves her, but what is it about the redhead at work that he doesn’t want her to know? As if that isn’t enough, the gunman knows she can identify him, and he’s out to silence her forever. In her fight to stay alive, she is saved from certain death by a handsome hit-man with ties to organized crime. This pulls Shelby even deeper into danger, where knowing someone’s thoughts can not only hurt her feelings, but get her killed.
A nice, light mystery with hilarious drama. ~ Sizzle & Swoon Book Reviews
A refreshing, different kind of sleuth story for all mystery fans. ~ Sharon Haddock
A combination of humor, mystery, and wit, served on silver platter! ~ After Dark Rendezvous
Redbud
By Ellen Carsen
(Note: The Chihuahua Affair: Book 2 is now available) In Redbud, the first Dog Lady Mystery, Judy Barnes, untethered after the tragic death of both her husband and baby, decides to run from her own past and present to research the distant past of ancestors who settled near Redbud, Nebraska. Once there, Judy finds a place to stay with Audrey Nevins, founder of the Redbud Area Dog Rescue. Judy, who is not a dog person, is soon waking up with half a dozen dogs on her bed. She’s bathing dogs, mopping floors, writing about dogs, swimming with dogs and learning all about rescuing dogs and finding them new homes. She also soon meets the county historian, who is also the police chief. Then life in Redbud turns sinister after Judy stumbles onto a dead body and then learns of other mysterious deaths. As the danger increases, Audrey may know the name of the killer, but Judy believes she will find a clue to the motive in the distant lives of her ancestors. For that, she needs the help of a 110-year-old man.
Rosebud is also a story of loss and recovery. Redbud has helped heal other broken souls. Will it now help Judy face her own past?
Sign Off
By Patricia McLinn
Divorce a husband, lose a career … grapple with a murder.
TV journalist Elizabeth “E.M.” Danniher will tell you she committed two sins — she didn’t stay young, and she made an enemy of a powerful news executive — her ex. She used to break national news. Now her top story as the “Helping Out!” reporter at dinky KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming is getting a refund for a defective toaster.
Tough, funny and determined, Elizabeth wrestles with isolation, keeping a professional edge, and an evolving self-image. Is Wyoming — the land of cattle, cowboys, tumbleweeds, and fewer than six people per square mile — her new home or a road to permanent obscurity?
Soon she’s in a battle of wills with ex-football player turned journalist Mike Paycik, who sees her as a handy rung on his career ladder. And there’s the matter of a deputy sheriff—missing or murdered? Elizabeth finds herself investigating at the insistence of a girl who’s set on proving her father’s innocence. Not that enigmatic rancher Thomas David Burrell makes investigating easy.
But Elizabeth won’t fade to black without a fight, no matter how final some might want to make her SIGN OFF.
A Summer Romance
By Tracey Smith
Maggie had her entire life planned out since the age of twelve, looks like the joke was on her. As all of her carefully laid plans begin to fall apart she jumps at the opportunity to get away and spend a carefree summer down south.
When she arrives at Devereux Manor it all seems too good to be true. The home is beautiful, the town is inviting, and the sexy gardener promises to make this a summer she won’t soon forget.
However the more she learns about the elusive Ms. Devereaux she begins to realize that the conveniently placed ad in front of her dorm room may not have been the happy coincidence that it once seemed. Maggie isn’t the only one who Ms. Devereaux has lured to the plantation, and Ms. Devereaux isn’t the only one with secrets to hide.
Death by Didgeridoo
By Barbara Venkataraman
Reluctant lawyer, Jamie Quinn, still reeling from the death of her mother, is pulled into a game of deception, jealousy, and vengeance when her cousin, Adam, is wrongfully accused of murder. It’s up to Jamie to find the real murderer before it’s too late. It doesn’t help that the victim is a former rock star with more enemies than friends, or that Adam confessed to a murder he didn’t commit.
A preview of Jamie Quinn’s next adventure, “The Case of the Killer Divorce,” can be found at the end of the book.
“Narrator Carrie Lee Martz skillfully enhances this unusual mystery. Listeners will enjoy this first in a series while also learning all about didgeridoos.” ~Audiofile Magazine~
“Death by Didgeridoo has all the elements of a perfect mystery. Barbara Venkataraman has created a compelling cast of characters that populate an intriguing story. Duke, the private investigator that Jamie hires to collect evidence for her, is a great character who is a wonderful foil for Jamie’s wit and intelligence. The dialogue between the two is smart and moves the story forward. The character of Adam presents an accurate picture of how a person with Asperger’s Syndrome might react in this sort of situation. Death by Didgeridoo is a very good read – and makes me anxious to read the next in the series!” ~ Eileen Johnson for Readers’ Favorite~
“I enjoyed reading about Jamie Quinn and her lovable band of characters having the time of their lives solving a murder mystery. Not a lot of violence. Not a lot of drama. Just a fun, short, enjoyable story.” ~Every Free Chance Book Reviews~
“This is a fun, quirky mystery for a commute.” ~Dab of Darkness Book Reviews~
Hollywood Blood
By M.Z. Kelly
LAPD Detective Kate Sexton and her canine partner, Bernie, return in this edge-of-your-seat thriller with laugh-out-loud humor. Hollywood Blood is the second book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers.
If you think you’ve got problems, meet LAPD cop, Kate Sexton. She’s just been promoted to the department’s elite Robbery Homicide Division, along with her canine partner, Bernie, a first for the homicide unit. But things immediately go downhill when a famous singer’s manager is shot and killed during one of Kate’s mother’s psychic séances. While Kate tries to balance her troubled relationship with her mother and an ex-cop, things get even crazier when the killer strikes again . . . and again . . . and then targets those closest to the investigation.
As she tracks the killer, things turn even more bizarre when Kate learns the suspect in the homicides is the leader of a blood thirsty cult out for revenge. To make matters worse, Bernie’s sexual wanderlust is out of control, her best friend Natalie meddles in the case, and Kate’s boss thinks she’s leaking details about the murders to the press.
Hollywood Blood is a thrill ride, with even more sex, laughs, and twists & turns than the first book in the series, Hollywood Assassin. Other books in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers by MZ Kelly include: Hollywood Crazy and Hollywood Dirty. And coming soon, Hollywood Enemy!
Remorseless
By Will Patching
Obsession, lust and revenge… Part murder mystery, part crime investigation, this unique noir killer thriller is a real page turner.
‘A tale of twisted minds, psychopathic planning and dark moods… A really enjoyable read.’
‘I always felt like I was reading with my hands over my eyes, sort of peeking through my fingers, cringing at what I knew what was coming next…’
‘If you like your books gritty, dark with complex characters and a plot that takes you with it to the grand finale then you will enjoy this…’
‘Hooked me right from the start, a build up in tension as the book rolls along and some twists that will put a big smile on your face…’
‘Not for the lily livered…’
All quotes are from Amazon reviews.
A devious serial killer, brutalized by years in prison is up for parole and, one way or another, he wants out.
Criminal profiler Doc Powers is assisted by Detective Inspector Jack Carver of London’s Metropolitan Police as he tries to unravel the truth about this violent psychopath while battling demons of his own.
First in the series introducing Doc Powers, Forensic Psychologist, partnering DI Carver. Their second investigation is well underway and will be ready to read in 2016, with the third and final installment of their adventures together expected during 2017.
Lazar’s Mission
By Kevin Sterling
Action and Suspense Have Never Been So Sexy
Readers say the Jack Lazar Series “is like James Bond meets Fifty Shades of Grey”
In this third gripping thriller, Jack ventures to Egypt where he investigates a crash-landed World War II airplane that was recently found in the Sahara desert. But something remarkable was left onboard, and people will stop at nothing to obtain it, throwing Jack into the middle of a hornet’s nest.
The situation grows even more complicated as Jack becomes entangled with Dalia, an exquisite blue-eyed woman of Egyptian and British heritage whose father is the Egyptian Head Consul to the UK, not to mention a formidable covert agent with the Mukhabarat. The man’s skills and weapons come in handy as he and Jack join forces to battle a faction with plans to kill millions of innocent people and subject the world to their twisted ideologies.
It’s a race against time as the trail leads to Northern Europe, where all hell breaks loose. And before long, it’s up to Jack and Jack alone to cheat death as he struggles to save Dalia, her father, and scores of unsuspecting people from the plot of a deranged madman.
Slow Dancing
By Suzanne Jenkins
After midnight, a mysterious stranger appears at the edge of the woods and the peaceful life fifteen-year-old Ellen Fisher has with her beloved stepfather Frank is turned upside down. Small town gossip, jealousy and murder strive to tear them apart in a tale of secrets and unrequited love.
This stand alone story is fabulous. It was a little nostalgia for me. The setting and all the drama surrounding a woman who’s car breaks down in a small town when she takes a wrong turn. There is love, a mystery and a lot of emotions.
Early on it was somewhat confusing as to what was going on with this story! however, as only ms Jenkins seems to be able to do she gets that all turned around and involves her readers in another brilliant tale. This went from a Sunday stroll in the park to a full-out race down the straightaway at Indy. And as with her other series we are left with hopes of hearing more from the characters herewith (?) … after all ms. Jenkins is the Queen of Serials right?
Not Quite Dead
By Lyla Payne
A broken engagement sends Graciela Harper crawling back to Heron Creek with her tail between her legs, but finds the sleepy little town too changed to set her life right. Not even her budding drinking problem can obscure her Gramps’s failing health, or erase the mental picture of her first love happily married to her childhood best friend. To top it all off, she’s having a heck of time convincing the town’s dashing young mayor of her unfit-for-dating status.
When the ghost of 18th century lady pirate Anne Bonny starts insisting on a near daily audience, Graciela has to confront something else she never expected—being certifiably nuts at twenty-five years old.
Her brand new “I don’t give a crap” attitude makes it easy to dismiss the mysterious threats that seem to be tied to her search for more information on the long dead pirate, but when her family becomes a target, Gracie knows she needs to find out why the ghost insists on being a constant, reeking companion.
If Graciela can put aside her prejudice against people without a pulse, she may discover that Anne Bonny’s problems are intricately linked with her own. The past harbors answers could help the cantankerous spirit find closure, but she is, after all, already dead. If Graciela doesn’t move fast, she might find herself doing the haunting, instead of the other way around.
A DEAD RED MIRACLE
By R.P. Dahlke
Thinking to jump start their careers as private investigators, cousins Lalla and Pearlie Bains partner up with an unscrupulous P.I. Unfortunately, their nifty plan starts circling the drain when they discover he’s a blackmailing, two-timing, client stealing dirtbag.
But when he dies under suspicious circumstances, the duo must catch the killer if they want to save their business…and their lives. All they need is a miracle or two.
~~~
“…what a great job the author did in the telling of this fast-paced and action-filled drama. I like how this was presented with an eclectic cast of characters and a mystery that kept me intrigued, especially when all the pieces came together as the author peppered the scenes with red herrings and some twists and turns to keep me glued to the pages as the puzzling case comes to an end. This was a great read and I enjoyed my time spent with Lalla, Pearlie, Caleb and their friends” Dru Ann Love, Reviewer
:Another great book by one of my favorite authors! I am always excited when a new book comes out because they are always good! Ms. Dahlke never disappoints! Lalla and Pearlie are magnets for trouble and they find plenty in this new adventure. By investigating a cold case they turn up dead bodies right and left while trying to avoid becoming a victim themselves. Fast paced and never a dull moment, this is a book you will enjoy! ” By Sherry E. Wells
Come Monday
By Chip Bell
Trouble in Margaritaville
Jake Sullivan had everything—his dream job as the chief prosecuting attorney in the Miami Office of the Justice Department, a loving family, and good friends. Many would describe him as a bulldog of a man with a strong moral streak. No one would have predicted what was actually to come.
When Jake Sullivan takes on a high profile case, he naturally anticipates both a moral and a professional victory. But when his drinking and obsession with the horrific nature of the crimes involved cloud his judgement, the case is thrown out of court and a cold-blooded killer goes free.
Shattered and mired in self-pity, Jake withdraws from his family and takes off for Key West where he builds a small practice fighting marine insurance companies. One night, still haunted by his failures, Jake stumbles upon a covert meeting between Attorney General Benjamin Matthews, the man who fired him, and the serial killer he let go free.
What follows is Jake’s fight for redemption and his life as he unravels a Machiavellian plot that leads from Key West to the White House.
This is the first book in the Jake Sullivan Series. Also by Chip Bell: “Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season” and “Havana Daydreamin'”
A Witness Above
By Andy Straka
What’s the PI series that Edgar winners Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Steve Hamilton, and Rick Riordan read when they want the best?
This one.
Thirteen years ago, NYPD Detective, Frank Pavlicek quit the force after a controversial shoot-out that left an unarmed African-American teenager dead. The divorced father of a teenage daughter, Pavlicek now works as a private investigator and hunts with a trained falcon. While hunting, he discovers the corpse of a black, teenage drug dealer with ties to his daughter. Unable to ignore the connections to his family or the shooting that cost his career, he goes after the killer to find the truth, save his daughter …and free himself from the shackles of his past.
The first novel in the blockbuster Frank Pavlicek series. An Anthony, Shamus, and Agatha Award nominee.
“Pavlicek is a breath of fresh air in the field of private eye fiction.” Jeffery Deaver
“Highly recommended. I dare you to tell me I’m wrong,” Michael Connelly
“A book this good, and this original, helps remind me why started reading mysteries in the fist place,” Steve Hamilton
“Storytelling as sharp and strong as talons,” Rick Riordan
Armed and Fabulous
By Canilla Chafer
All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud.
Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.
Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town.
As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.
Also in the Lexi Graves Mysteries:
Who Glares Wins (book 2)
Command Indecision (book 3)
Shock and Awesome (book 4)
Weapons of Mass Distraction (book 5)
Also by the author:
Illicit Magic (Stella Mayweather 1)
Unruly Magic (Stella Mayweather 2)
Devious Magic (Stella Mayweather 3)
Magic Rising (Stella Mayweather 4)
The Stella Mayweather Collection, Books 1-3
Harley Hill Cozy Murder Mystery Bundle
By Monty’s Tale
This exclusive cozy mystery box set includes 3 COMPLETE HARLEY HILL MYSTERY NOVELS guaranteed to keep you entertained for many hours to come. If you enjoy a cozy setting, lovable pets, funny characters, and ingenious clues, then this is box set for you!
“Harley Hill is my new favorite sleuth! I love her and Monty the cat!”
“Some of the scenes had me laughing out loud. I couldn’t read them fast enough.”
Box set contains three full-length novels for one great price:
MURDER ON THE HILL
Look out London, there’s a new investigator in town! When Harley Hill’s new job turns into a murder case, she’ll need all her skills to find the killer. Luckily she has a mischievous cat, and a cake-baking aunty to help.
MURDER ON THE PAGE
London-based detective Harley Hill is looking for a rare diary connected to the royal family when she discovers a body. Harley, along with Cordelia and Monty the cat, go to the very root of power in London in search of murderer and the Doomsday Diary. As they dig deeper, they risk becoming the next victims.
MURDER IN THE KITCHEN
Amateur sleuths Harley and Cordelia leave their posh London home for a Castle in the wilds of Scotland. When a friendly dog leads Harley to a body, it’s clear Harley has a real murder mystery on her hands. With a motley crew of guests, including a paranormal investigator, Harley must uncover dark secrets of the past to nab the killer.
“These stories have some of the best mystery elements I’ve read in years!”
“Cordi, Aunt Maggie, and Harley are a wonderful sleuthing team. I feel like they’re friends already!”
Talking to the Dead
By Harry Bingham
A crime you’ll always remember
A detective you’ll never forget
A young prostitute lies dead in a Cardiff squat. Her six-year-old lies dead beside her. It looks like an ordinary murder scene . . . except that a millionaire’s platinum bank card lies among the debris. How did it come to be there? And is there more to this case than meets the eye?
Investigating the case is rookie Detective Constable Fiona Griffiths – a new recruit with a repuation for being deadly smart, more than ordinarily committed . . . and unsettlingly odd. As she starts to follow up the clue left by that platinum bank card, she finds the disturbing hints that suggest a truly appalling crime has been committed – and release the demons of her own dark past.
Praise for the Fiona Griffiths mystery series
Talking To The Dead was the smash-hit launch that introduced British detective, Fiona Griffiths – the most compelling female protagonist in contemporary crime fiction / mystery..
“Gritty, compelling . . . a procedural unlike any other you are likely to read this year.”—USA Today
“With Detective Constable Fiona ‘Fi’ Griffiths, Harry Bingham . . . finds a sweet spot in crime fiction . . . think Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander . . . Denise Mina’s ‘Paddy’ Meehan [or] Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. . . . The writing is terrific.”—The Boston Globe
“The mystery-thriller genre is already so staffed with masterminds that it’s hard to make room for another. But along comes a book like Talking to the Dead, and suddenly an unadvertised opening is filled. . . . [This] has the feel of something fresh and compelling.”—New York Daily News
“A stunner with precision plotting, an unusual setting, and a deeply complex protagonist . . . We have the welcome promise of more books to come about Griffiths.”—The Seattle Times
“Recommended highly . . . [a] riveting procedural thriller.”—Library Journal (starred review)
Chosen as a Crime Book of the Year by the Seattle Times and the Boston Globe If you’re looking for a crime thriller series to keep you hooked, then go no further: you’ve just found it.
Dying to Read
By Lorena McCourtney
“Lorena McCourtney’s lively cozy mysteries hit all the right notes for me, and her newest doesn’t miss a chord. A quirky, likable heroine, a handsome guy, and oh, a murder. Don’t miss Cate Kinkaid’s first case as a PI. It’s a killer.”–Lyn Cote, author of La Belle Christiane
All she wanted was a paycheck. What she got was a murder.
Cate Kinkaid’s life is . . . well, frankly it’s floundering. Her social life, her career, her haircut–they’re all a mess. Unemployed, she jumps at the chance to work for her PI uncle, even though she has no experience and no instincts. After all, she is just dabbling in the world of private investigating until she can find a “real” job.
All she has to do for her first assignment is determine that a particular woman lives at a particular address. Simple, right? But when she reaches the dark Victorian house, she runs into an hungry horde of gray-haired mystery readers and a dead body. This routine PI job is turning out to be anything but simple. Is Cate in over her head?
“I loved all the witty prose and the laugh-out-loud moments I’ve come to expect when reading McCourtney’s mysteries. Seasoned with romance and a fascinating collection of peculiar characters, this clever tale will keep you guessing about more than murder. Never a dull moment, Dying to Read is a winner!”–Elizabeth Goddard, author of Carol Award-winning The Camera Never Lies
“McCourtney has fashioned a fun and engaging mystery that begs to be solved. Kick off your shoes, curl up somewhere comfortable, and prepare to be entertained! Dying to Read will keep you fully engrossed and guessing.”–Kathy Herman, author of the Baxter series, Seaport Suspense series, and Secrets of Roux River Bayou series
“Crisp, witty writing spins this amateur sleuth tale into a late-night page-turner.”–Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of the Lancaster County Secrets series
“Quirky, charming, and fun. Myriad suspects, plot twists, good dialogue, romance: mystery fans will find it all in good form.”–Publishers Weekly
Lorena McCourtney is the award-winning author of dozens of novels, including Invisible (which won a Daphne du Maurier Award from Romance Writers of America), In Plain Sight, On the Run, and Stranded. She resides in Oregon.
Crazy in Paradise
By Deborah Brown
Dying in the middle of the summer in the Florida Keys is sweaty business.
Welcome to Tarpon Cove. Madison Westin has inherited her aunt’s beachfront motel in the Florida Keys. Trouble is she’s also inherited a slew of colorful tenant’s – drunks, ex-cons, and fugitives.
Only one problem: First, she has to wrestle control from a conniving lawyer and shady motel manager. With the help of her new best friend, whose motto is never leave home without your Glock, they dive into a world of blackmail, murder, and drugs.
Praise for author Deborah Brown and her Paradise series:
“Zany, amusing, entertaining, interesting, – great characters and a fun read.”
“Well thought out plot…kept my interest right through to the end.”
“Great storyline…hooked to the very end. Action, Romance, and Intrigue.”
“Crazy is as crazy does.”
“Suspense, Mystery, Comedy makes for a fast and enjoyable read.”
Sex, Lies & Sweet Tea
By Kris Calvert
Hotter than hell and half of Alabama, FBI Agent, Mac Callahan is thirsty for everything except love. Coming home to bust a white-collar crime ring, Mac intends to execute his usual practice with work and women¬ – get in, get it on and get out. Instead, he finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the legacy of his family, his plantation, and the charms of a Southern girl. Samantha Peterson possesses everything he needs in a woman, including the evidence to wrap his case. As the investigation heats up, so does their passion and a dangerous game ignites. But, then again, everything’s hotter in the South.
What a fun read!! I thoroughly enjoyed Calvert’s writing style – it was easy to read and very fluid. Before I knew it, I was 55% through the book (and I couldn’t put it down). There were a few words here and there I knew did not belong in the sentence (maybe missed in editing?), but that doesn’t bother me at all. The main characters, Mac and Sam, are one of those couples I would love to meet one day, or get to know at a summer garden party while sipping sweet tea, of course. I laughed out loud in parts of the book, and was hanging on every word throughout Sam and Mac’s story, especially at the end! I even added a few quotes to my personal journal that I absolutely loved, and I RARELY do that with romance novels. My favorite quote is from Mac’s mom: “Focus on being the right man, and you’ll find the right girl.” Awww…you bet I am telling my son that when he gets older! Thanks, Kris!
If you love sweet romance, you will love “Sex, Lies and Sweet Tea” – you will not be sorry you bought this book! I am looking forward to reading more of Sam and Mac’s story in Book Two! To be honest I am mostly looking forward to reading more about Mac and his southern charm!
No Accident
By Dan Webb
**Double Winner** in Mystery and First Novel categories, 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
**Finalist** for Thriller/Suspense in ForeWord Reviews’ Book of the Year Awards
What if your boss secretly took out insurance on your life—then tried to kill you?
A fiery crash consumes three cars and the lives of those inside. The police blame reckless driving, but investigator Alex Fogarty suspects a celebrated CEO staged the accident and murdered his own employees for insurance money.
As the body count starts rising, and with help from the CEO’s jilted wife, Alex pursues the case from L.A.’s seamy underside to the mansions of Bel Air. If he can keep ahead of the CEO’s chilling enforcer, Alex may just discover the dark truth.
Birdsongs
By Jason Dias
Birdsongs is a fast-paced mystery centered on former FBI agent, Benny James. Fired from the FBI for inadvertently sleeping with the perp in a murder case, he tries to disappear to a houseboat and retirement.
Not having what it takes to relax, Benny starts a service offering discreet investigations. That is until a body is found crucified near his marina. The local police department requests Benny’s help and he knows if he can catch the killer, redemption is his. The Chief gives Benny and the department ten days to solve the crimes before he promises to request the help of the FBI.
As the case grows, grabbing national attention, and the murders continue, the media soon fills the normally quiet town. Media goddess, Rachael Martin arrives and adds spice to an already flavorful mix.
A few newcomers straggle in as well. An ex-convict fresh out of prison from a thirty year murder rap slinks in unnoticed with revenge on his mind. Days later, a Greyhound bus delivers a strange young man raised by deaf-mute parents from deep within the Ozark Mountains. An old newspaper clipping and a dark secret pulls him to town.
Whatever is going on has something strange to do with birds. At each murder site, dead birds are displayed in disturbing ways—the killer arranging them as an artist might.
All the strange occurrences and unexplained visitors to this quiet town press Benny James to his max as he vehemently struggles to solve the most important case of his life.
Natalie’s Art
By Susan Fleet
ART HEISTS, MURDER and REVENGE! In 1990 two robbers stole paintings worth $500 million from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Twenty years later, a ruthless man plans to steal several more. He forces Natalie to help him, but after the heist he intends to kill her.
Not only that, NOPD Detective Frank Renzi is hot on her trail. Will Natalie escape? Don’t miss the explosive showdown between Frank and Natalie. Feathered Quill Book Awards named Natalie’s Revenge Best Mystery of 2014. Natalie’s Art is the thrilling sequel.
“For readers who enjoy psychological depth, complexity, compelling characterization and unpredictable twists. A ruthless art thief plans to use Natalie to steal two paintings from Boston’s Isabella Steward Gardner Museum, then kill her. Detective Renzi is a dark warrior, whose checkered past leads to his gritty determination and, sometimes, his downfall. Where is the stolen art? Who will die? Can Natalie truly be free from the choices she has made in her life? Natalie’s Art comes to a logical, yet surprising, conclusion. And that’s fine art, indeed.” — D. Donovan, Midwest Book Reviews
A superbly written crime series [with] non-stop twists and turns of plot that begin on page one. Fleet deftly applies a unique personality to each of her characters. The dialogue
is crisp and believable. The plot [involves] the ‘kidnapping’ of iconic works of breathtaking art. A fast-paced, action-packed read that will have you cheering for the bad guy (girl, in this case) as much as the cop whose mission it is to catch his alluring thief! – Diane Lunsford, Feathered Quill Book Reviews
Separation
By James Kipling
Someone desperately wants 17 year old Raj Varma dead and it seems they’ll stop at nothing to make sure that happens. Everyone he loves is dead and a killer is after him. Afraid and distraught at the brutal murder of his family and best friend, Raj flees from his home in the slums of Pune. While on the run, a stranger rescues him and takes him to a safe home about half-way between Pune and Mumbai. It turns out that his savior is an old friend of his father.
However, Raj is intent on finding his family’s killer, and relentlessly pursues the truth. He learns that his whole life has been a lie and his thirst for vengeance grows stronger but he meets Priya, a girl who also lives in the safe home, and they fall in love. She manages to temper his need to exact revenge but Raj is still obsessed with finding out more about his family.
Things seem to be improving and Raj starts to rebuild his life, his relationship with Priya growing stronger by the day. The time comes for them to leave for university and Raj decides to visit the slums, his home one last time with Priya before leaving it forever. Disaster strikes when a sniper, hired by his pursuer, lies in wait in the slums of Pune.
‘Mystery: Separation – Suspense Thriller Mystery (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Crime Thriller)’ is first book in the ‘Power Play’ Trilogy by author James Kipling.
*****
A summary of reader reviews of ‘Mystery: Separation – Suspense Thriller Mystery (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Crime Thriller)’:
“…great romantic thriller with mystery and financial crimes with suspense, fraud and women sleuths…”
“…good mystery book and suspense thriller with romantic suspense…”
The Deadly Legal Affair
By K.M. Morgan
“A page-turning new cozy murder mystery with a lovable sleuth and a charming setting that will bring a smile to your face!”
Welcome to Cozy Creek, a quaint tourist town nestled along the Pacific Coast.
Daisy McDare is busy nursing a broken heart, trying to build up her interior decorator business, and baking cookies when murder strikes Cozy Creek.
At first she leaves the investigation to Chris Crumple, the local bumbling police detective. But when Crumple arrests the wrong suspect, Daisy takes the investigation into her own hands.
Cracking the case won’t be easy. She’ll need help from her pastry-baking best friend Samantha, her wise-cracking Granny Annie, and her trusty West Highland Terrier Shamus.
It’s up to Daisy McDare to find the murderer in Cozy Creek before they strike again.
Scraps of Paper
By Kathryn Meyer Griffith
“Scraps of Paper is a well-constructed mystery with just the right mix of good guys and bad guys, with a sprinkling of oddballs and misfits thrown in. Kathryn Meyer Griffin does a nice job of allowing the friendship of the book’s two main characters to develop as the story progresses. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good who-done-it, set in a picturesque environment with believable characters. This is the first book in a series the author calls ‘The Spookie Town Mysteries’.” 5 Stars Reviewed by Michael McManus for Readers’ Favorite May 17, 2013 (Second in the series: ALL THINGS SLIP AWAY)
Snippet of NOVELSPOT Review for Scraps of Paper:
“The premise behind this story intrigued me. Old houses have their own history-bad and good. What would you do if, while you were renovating an old house, you found an intriguing mystery, even if it was years old? If you had a chance of solving that mystery, would you? Or would you leave it buried in the past? Would you want someone digging in your past, your tragedies? If someone you loved just disappeared, what would you do?
Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Scraps of Paper is an engaging story of what happens when you go digging into the past and the possible consequences. It also has an underlying story about dealing with what life hands you and finding the strength to move on. Both Frank and Abby are strong characters they have had to deal with the loss of a loved one and to learn to deal with that loss. You find yourself drawn to them and to all the quirky people who live in the little town of Spookie. In the end you want to know what happened in the old house so many years earlier. I’ll be looking forward to more books about this quaint little town.”
Reviewed By Theresa at NOVELSPOT © March 2006 (9 out of 10 rating)
*****
Abigail Sutton’s beloved husband walks out one night, doesn’t return, and two years later is found dead, a victim of an earlier crime. It’s made her sympathetic to the missing and their families.
Starting her new life, Abigail moves to a small town and buys a fixer-upper house left empty when old Edna Summers died. Once it was also home to Edna’s younger sister, Emily, and her two children, Jenny and Christopher, who, people believe, drove away one night, thirty years ago, and just never came back.
But in renovating the house Abigail finds scraps of paper hidden behind baseboards and tucked beneath the porch that hint the three could have been victims of foul play.
Then she finds their graves hidden in the woods behind the house and with the help of the eccentric townspeople and ex-homicide detective, Frank Lester, she discovers the three were murdered. Then she and Frank try to uncover who killed them and why…but in the process awaken the ire of the murderer. ***
The Lake Killer
By Randy Goddard
Joe Litchfield, a successful architect, and his brother Danny, a reputable police officer, are immersed head first into a whirlwind mystery filled with suspense, betrayal, and even murder when they come face to face with the illusive Lake Killer.
For years now they have been making the trip down to Summer Breeze Lake to spend the weekend with their Aunt Mary and Uncle Jack. A place of relaxation and much needed rest.
They have made this trip hundreds of times…and they thought this one would be like all the others. Little did they know that they were about to be thrown into a mystery that would change their lives forever.
Dangerous Allies
By Rickie Blair
Second honeymoons…
After a brush with tragedy, tabloid target Ruby Delaney is finally ready to put the parties, booze, and notorious paparazzi photos behind her. A cruise with her financier husband is the fresh start she needs. But their luxury liner has barely left port when she stumbles across evidence that her spouse is involved in a massive stock fraud linked to the ruthless Russian mob. She’s stunned to discover he plans to disappear with millions and frame her for the crime.
…can be dangerous.
Ruby stages a disappearing act of her own, but her impulsive action backfires when the mob becomes convinced she’s vanished with their share of the take. In a frantic race for her life, Ruby leaves a trail of collateral damage. She doesn’t know who to trust, and above all—how to get off a cruise ship, undetected, in the middle of the Caribbean.
Readers of Sandra Brown, Richard Castle, or Sara Rosett should enjoy the Ruby Danger series.
Dangerous Allies is the first book in the series. The others include Dangerous Benefits, Book 2, and Dangerous Comforts, Book 3.
The Obituary Society
By Jessica L. Randall
When Lila Moore inherits her grandfather’s house, she finds herself in a small Midwestern town where margarine is never an acceptable substitution for butter, a coveted family recipe can serve as currency, and the friend who will take your darkest secrets to the grave will still never give you the secret to her prize-winning begonias.
Lila is charmed by the people of Auburn, from the blue-eyed lawyer with the southern drawl to the little old lady who unceasingly tries to set Lila up with her grandson. But when strange things begin to happen, Lila realizes some of her new friends are guarding a secret like its a precious family heirloom. It’s a dangerous secret, and it has come back to haunt them. Lila is caught in the middle, and her life may depend on uncovering it. But even if she can, can she stay in Auburn when not everyone is what they seem, and even the house wants her gone?
This book was so engaging that I read it over the course of two days. It pulled me in, made me laugh and really messed with my head until all the mysterious elements were revealed. What’s the most fun about this book, is the myriad of the little details that add up to life in a small town. I felt like I knew at least half of these quirky characters, grew up with them right next door (so to speak.) It’s joyful and fun, thrilling and entertaining…there were even a few tears. I enjoyed this delightfully quirky and nostalgic book even more than I did her last novel. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! -Oh, I also can’t wait to try some of the recipes. Did you know there was such a thing as Lemon Velvet Cake?
Uneasy Spirits: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery
By M. Louisa Locke
In this sequel to Maids of Misfortune, it is the fall of 1879 and Annie Fuller, a young San Francisco widow, has a problem. Despite her growing financial success as the clairvoyant Madam Sibyl, Annie doesn’t believe in the astrology and palmistry her clients think are the basis for her advice.
Kathleen Hennessey, Annie Fuller’s young Irish maid, has a plan. When her mistress is asked to expose a fraudulent trance medium, Arabella Frampton, Kathleen is determined to assist in the investigation, just like the Pinkerton detectives she has read about in the dime novels.
Nate Dawson, up-and-coming San Francisco lawyer, has a dilemma. He wants to marry the unconventional Annie Fuller, but he doesn’t feel he can reveal his true feelings until he has a way to make enough money to support her.
In Uneasy Spirits, this cozy, historical mystery of romantic suspense, Annie delves into the intriguing world of 19th century spiritualism, encountering true believers and naïve dupes, clever frauds and unexplained supernatural phenomena.
She will soon find there are as many secrets as there are spirits swirling around the Frampton séance table. Some of those secrets will threaten the foundation of her career as Madam Sibyl and the future of her relationship with Nate Dawson, and, in time, they will threaten her very life itself.
Uneasy Spirits is the second book in M. Louisa Locke’s Victorian historical mystery series, the first is Maids of Misfortune.
Progressive Dinner Deadly
By Elizabeth Spann Craig
Who wants chips and dip when they can have Dickens and Twain?
To the residents of the sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, hardworking Jill Caulfield seemed beyond reproach. She volunteered at the women’s shelter, worked at the church preschool, cleaned houses for extra money, and actually enjoyed yard work. And she was nothing less than a saint to cheerfully put up with her unemployed, skirt-chasing, boozer of a husband.
When intrepid octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover caught Jill, her new housekeeper, peering into her medicine cabinet, she should have been upset. But discovering that Jill wasn’t such a squeaky-clean goody-goody made her vastly more interesting in Myrtle’s eyes.
Myrtle would have happily continued figuring out what made Jill Caulfield tick. If Jill hadn’t foolishly gone and gotten herself murdered, that is.
Other Works…
**If you want more Myrtle Clover, please check out the other books in the series: The books can be read out of order, but the technical order of the books is as follows: Pretty is as Pretty Dies, Progressive Dinner Deadly, Dyeing Shame, A Body in the Backyard, Death at a Drop-In, A Body at Book Club, Death Pays a Visit, and A Body at Bunco.
Sign up for Elizabeth’s free newsletter to keep updated on new releases and for recipes and other extras (your address is never shared and you may always unsubscribe): http://eepurl.com/kCy5j
**If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you’ll want to check out Elizabeth’s other series, The Southern Quilting Mysteries and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries (written as Riley Adams).
Engulfed
By Kathleen M. Cosgrove
Maggie Finn travels to South West Florida expecting to find heat, sand, and gangs of old people. What she finds are dead bodies, a kidnapping, the mob and a certain Jewish Cuban detective that she has developed a school girls crush on.
It’s not long before she’s engulfed in events that will either destroy her or prove to her that it’s never too late to begin again and that life isn’t over until it is.
This book is filled with fun and unforgettable characters and situations that never leave a dull moment from page one to epilogue.
I couldn’t stop laughing and couldn’t put it down. Engulfed is a great read full of a cast of characters that any Florida town would recognize. From a cop born again as a hippie complete with a halfway house full of unusual taco dip, to a nursing home with bodies falling everywhere,to a senator with an unusual hobby to a middle aged heroine whose life has never been so exciting, this book is a funny, fantastic, free for all of twists with its own Yoda in the form of a seagull named Sherlock Holmes. I loved it and can’t wait to read it again!
Looking for a little mystery, blackmail, drugs, romance? Then you’ll definitely want to become Engulfed in Kathleen Cosgrove’s novel. Kathleen has created a gamut of believable characters and Engulfed them in a plot that has twists and turns in every chapter. If you’re looking for something fun to read, that will keep you engaged, then you’ll want to pick up a copy of Engulfed…a real “whodunit” that will keep you guessing till the end!
Seattle Quake 9.2
By Marti Talbott
They knew it could happen – scientists had been warning them for years. Yet, nearly two million people living in the greater Seattle area went about their daily lives as usual. A Detective Agency thought they had found a missing woman, an upstart radio station was on the air, and an eccentric banker had just started a round of golf. Thousands were driving on freeways, shopping in malls, awaiting flights, working in downtown high-rises, and on buses in the bus tunnel.
They knew — they just didn’t believe it could happen to them.
(This book is dedicated to Ham Radio Operators all over the world who open the lines of communication after a disaster. Although the technology may be a little out of date, this book still honors their hard, behind the scenes work.)
“Shattered City is a populist classic – ordinary people meeting a challenge of cataclysmic proportions… this would make a great movie…” — John Huff, Author
“A talented writer who knows how to introduce characters and elements… without burying the reader in needless technical details.” — Jim Michelinie
“Fabulous book! Absolutely could not stop reading… extremely well thought out and well written…” — Denise Whitaker, VK4HJ, Ham Radio Operator
Firefly Beach
By Meira Pentermann
When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach.
“The various minor storylines infuse the main plot with a great flavor. The end of the book neatly ties all the loose ends up and makes for an extremely satisfying read.” – Reviewed by Laura, You Gotta Read Reviews
“Firefly Beach sneaks up on you subtly, inexorably drawing you in. Before you realize it, you’ve read the whole book.” – Reviewed by IvyD, Manic Readers
“I was on the edge of my seat every time Beth got one step closer to solving the mystery. I would encourage you to put this book high on your list.” – Reviewed by Kimberly, Coffee Time Romance
“These words truly describe the story and the characters: incredible, outstanding, dazzling, marvelous, and touching.” – Reviewed by Elizabeth, Silver’s Reviews
“This is a book that is beyond the perfect escape. Book your passage now, this is a trip you will not want to miss. This book should be on everyone’s summer reading list.” – Reviewed by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book
“The plot is quite unique. It is mysterious at times and at times it is simply heart wrenching. Either way, it keeps such a hold on you that it was quite difficult for me to not finish the book in a single sitting.” – Book R3vi3ws by D.D.S.
“Firefly Beach will keep you guessing as to what will happen next, right to the ending. Meira Pentermann pens her characters with style and believability which leaves you totally satisfied.” – Reviewed by My Cozy Corner
“As I was reading this novel I was as eager as Beth to find out what happened to the writer of the diary. It is an emotional story of heartbreak, lost love and doing the right thing.” – Reviewed by Celtic Lady’s Reviews
Requiem
By Celina Grace
The girl’s body lay on the riverbank, her arms outflung. Her blonde hair lay in matted clumps, shockingly pale against the muddy bank. Her face was like a porcelain sculpture that had been broken and glued back together: grey cracks were visible under the white sheen of her dead skin. Her lips were so blue they could have been traced in ink.
When the body of troubled teenager Elodie Duncan is pulled from the river in Abbeyford, the case is at first assumed to be a straightforward suicide. Detective Sergeant Kate Redman is shocked to discover that she’d met the victim the night before her death, introduced by Kate’s younger brother Jay. As the case develops, it becomes clear that Elodie was murdered. A talented young musician, Elodie had been keeping some strange company and was hiding her own dark secrets.
As the list of suspects begin to grow, so do the questions. What is the significance of the painting Elodie modelled for? Who is the man who was seen with her on the night of her death? Is there any connection with another student’s death at the exclusive musical college that Elodie attended?
As Kate and her partner Detective Sergeant Mark Olbeck attempt to unravel the mystery, the dark undercurrents of the case threaten those whom Kate holds most dear…
Requiem (A Kate Redman mystery) is the second novel in the bestselling Kate Redman Mysteries series from crime writer Celina Grace, author of Hushabye (A Kate Redman Mystery), Lost Girls and The House on Fever Street.
Praise for The Kate Redman Mysteries from Amazon and Goodreads reviewers:
“One of the best I have read this year. I read about a fourth of the book early in the day, then at bedtime, I thought I would read a bit more before sleep. I finished the book at 5:20 AM. Just could not put it down.”
“At last, a mystery that delivers…I found this novel superb because I got all I needed to know and none of what I didn’t.”
“…a gripping detective story but the main character engages you, and as well as wanting to know how the mystery turns out you want to learn more about her too.”
“…amazing book, read it front to back in one visit, couldn`t help myself…”
“…the most enjoyable Kindle book I have so far read since the ‘low cost electronic revolution’ which has been sweeping my reading habits for the last couple of years! Thoroughly recommended.”
“This was my introduction to the author, and I’m so glad I discovered the book. Well-written and a real page turner.”
Diamonds and Cole
By Micheal Maxwell
In the first Cole Sage book, we find Cole at the low point of his career. In the past, Cole a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, worked for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Time Magazine. Now, he’s returned to the paper where he started his career, The Chicago Sentinel. Instead of writing the big stories, he’s doing the work of a rookie reporter. His “big story of the day” is a cat caught in a tree. During its rescue, the cat’s owner takes her Good Samaritan neighbor hostage. Cole witnesses something so disturbing it reawakens the journalist’s desire to write again.
Returning to the paper, Cole finds a desperate message asking for help from Ellie, one that got away. The one that has continually haunted his life. Cole drops everything and flies to California. He must find what would make her so desperate, she would call him after so many years. Cole finds her terminally ill, and abandoned by her husband. He discovers while Ellie was heavily medicated, she mistakenly signed a Power of Attorney. Now her estranged daughter Erin’s inheritance, won’t go to her, but her abusive step-father. Cole vows to find the girl and right the situation.
The path to keeping his word is blocked at every turn by the husband who abandoned her, his shady real estate deals, violent con men, street thugs and the lure of a fortune in diamonds that unite them. The anger, sorrow, and crippling guilt of twenty years fires Cole’s drive to keep a promise, that in the end, will heal and return the soul to the great journalist.
Beaten, bloody but determined, Cole Sage conquers greed and hatred with a strength that only love, and a will as hard as diamond, can achieve.
The Cole Sage Series has captured the imagination of readers worldwide. All six books in the series consistently get top ratings from reviewers.
Micheal Maxwell has found a niche in the mystery, suspense, genre that gives readers an everyman hero, short on vices, long on compassion, and a sense of fair play, and the willingness to risk everything to right wrongs.
The Cole Sage Series departs from the usual, heavily sexual, profanity laced norm, and gives readers a character driven stories, with twists, turns, and page turning plot lines, but most of all a hero they can relate to and root for with each new case he finds himself involved in.
Southern Spirits
By Angie Fox
From New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox, the first book in the new Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries
One simple mistake…
For a girl who is about to lose her family home,
Releases the ghost of a long-dead gangster,
And opens Verity Long’s eyes to a whole new world.
When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.
Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity to put an end to the disturbances. But soon, Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.
There’s a modern day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn’t above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?
Flapjack
By Daniel Ganninger
An incredible invention goes missing, and two new detectives are on the case – what could possibly go wrong?
Murphy and Galveston realize there must be more to life than their mind-numbing cubicle jobs. Over a barbeque lunch, Galveston attempts to convince his friend to join him in a daring new career as a private investigator. With nothing to lose, Murphy reluctantly agrees. Relying heavily on their humorous wit and questionable tactics, the men employ a creative approach to their investigations. For a time these methods prove successful, until they push too far and find themselves mired in the case of a lifetime.
An explosion rocks a New England university lab, setting off a carefully orchestrated chain of events. A small device has been stolen, a key to the entire world’s energy problems and the power that comes with controlling it. The fate of the device and its inventor lays with the newly self-proclaimed private detectives.
The two men, under the threat of arrest by the FBI, begin to criss-cross the country and the world, picking up clues to the puzzle of the missing device in England, Mexico, and even Brazil. Dead ends seem at every turn, but with the help of an outcast computer expert, a British spy and former flame of Galveston’s, and a new employee whom Murphy can’t seem to keep his eyes off of, the investigators unwind the case using their unorthodox approach, berating each other at every turn.
Who is looking to control this device and its destiny? Is it the huge multinational security firm, a devious billionaire, or a questionable member of Congress. Murphy and Galveston must find out why something so small is causing problems so large, because the hunters are quickly becoming the hunted.
One O’Clock Hustle
By Joanne Pence
North American Book Award recipient in Mystery
When San Francisco Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield arrives at the scene of a deadly shooting, she’s shocked to find that the witnesses have caught the killer, and that he’s someone she knows. Rebecca’s a by-the-book detective, and she’s always done her job according to the rules, without hesitation … until Richie Amalfi comes back into her life.
Richie knows his way around everything and everyone in his city. When people say they “know a guy who knows a guy,” Richie’s the guy they’re talking about. He can usually help people out of tight situations, but suddenly finds he can’t get himself out of hot water when he’s accused of murder.
Richie’s on the run, and he runs straight to Rebecca to help him prove his innocence. From the nightclubs of North Beach to the scenic heights of Twin Peaks, dangers lurk and more deaths happen. As Rebecca discovers there’s a lot more to Richie than she thought, and a lot more to like than she imagined, she soon fears not only for her life, but also her heart.
Portrait of a Gossip
By Melanie Jackson
The first book in Melanie Jackson’s new Miss Henry Mystery Series.
“Melanie Jackson is a talent to watch.”
–WritersWrite.com
Juliet Henry, water-color artist and retired agent of the NSA, wouldn’t stack up her knowledge of the human heart against the great romantic poets, but she knows a thing or two about human avarice and stupidity. It comes as no great surprise when the small artists’ colony of Bartholomew’s Woods ends up with a dead resident. Harvey Allen was a professional gossip, hated the length and breadth of the state for his scandal-mongering in the press, and it seemed that one of Juliet’s talented but idiosyncratic neighbors had finally had enough of his pernicious tale-bearing and decided to paint him out of the picture. Juliet may sympathize, but she also knows that once a person resorts to murder to hide a secret, chances are good that they may choose to kill again. Can she find the murderer before the killer paints the town red?
Move over Miss Marple, there’s a new slueth in town. If you are a fan of Ngaio Marsh or Agatha Christie you are going to love Juliet Henry and the residents of Bartholomew’s Woods.
Mystery Series
Chloe Boston
Buttersctoch Jones
Wendover House
Miss Henry
Historical Mysteries
Death in a High Place
Praise for the Author
“A wickedly sexy tale!”
–Christine Feehan, New York Times Bestselling Author (on The Selkie)
“… delivers sizzling romance and ghoulish thrills at a breathtaking clip.”
–Publishers Weekly (on Traveler)
“Readers of Laurel K. Hamilton will enjoy this complex tale…”
–Booklist (on Still Life)
THE DEVIL’S BREATH
By Emily Kimelman
Private detective thriller with a touch of romance, reader’s call THE DEVIL’S BREATH “A master mystery”.
New to Sydney Rye? Read the first book in the series, UNLEASHED, for FREE. Join Emily Kimelman’s Readers’ Group to receive your free ebook. Copy and paste this web address into your browser. bit.ly/1GSKwXs
Emily Kimelman’s best selling Sydney Rye series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend, Blue. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don’t mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome mystery with tons of action that will keep you reading late into the night!
One of Sydney Rye’s dearest friends, Hugh Defry, has been accused of brutally murdering his business partner. All the evidence points to Hugh and he has no memory of that night. But Sydney refuses to believe that Hugh is capable of such violence.
Called to investigate by Robert Maxim, a man she has, until now, considered her greatest enemy, Sydney flies to Miami searching for the real killer. Her investigation leads her from the mansions of Star Island to the depths of the Everglades. Rye’s suspicions are raised when she learns that Robert Maxim not only wants to work together, but also wants to build a friendship. She doesn’t begin to understand Maxim’s motives until her former lover, Dan, arrives in Miami to tell her a devastating secret.
As more people from her past turn up, and not knowing whom to trust, Sydney begins to recognize that her personal fight for justice has become much more than she’d ever imagined. Sydney is pushed towards making a decision that will change not just her life, but possibly the future of crime fighting.
Murder in Aix
By Susan Kiernan-Lewis
Life is good indeed, especially if you’re a thirty-something expat living in an area of Provence where people would kill to live. And do! When Maggie’s new best friend is arrested for murder Maggie is determined to find the real culprit. Trouble is, there are a few roadblocks in her way, like an old friend on the verge of divorce who’s chosen Maggie’s house to have her nervous breakdown in, an ex-paramour who has the power to make Maggie’s life miserable—and does—and oh, yes, a killer as warped and determined as any Maggie has encountered in her four years living in France.
Just another fun mystery with Maggie in France with her handsome husband Laurent. Do I think I can believe all the silly things she gets herself into and while pregnant would any woman put her baby in such danger – are you crazy?!?! But, can’t resist reading about the food, drink and atmosphere of the French countryside and just the fun mystery that Maggie puts herself and others in danger to solve.
This is very fun to read in this series! Having been raised in France as a child, all the locals, the food, the customs made me feel so at home! If you’ve never been to France, then this mystery novel will give you an “armchair tour” and entertain you to boot! The mysteries are not violent, only require twists and turns of your thinking! Enjoy these novels!
The Mystery Box
By Eva Pohler
Soccer mom Yvette Palmer lives an ordinary life in San Antonio, Texas when a box is delivered to her by mistake, and in taking it to its rightful owner—a crotchety neighbor named Mona who shares her back fence—is drawn into a strange and haunting tale.
Mona’s ratty robe, mood swings, and secretive behavior all raise red flags, and Yvette is sure someone else is living there despite Mona’s claim to live alone, but Yvette is unable to break away as she listens to how Mona transformed from a young college woman about to be married to the odd, reclusive, ghost of a woman she is now.
As Yvette listens to her neighbor’s tale, she discovers a shocking connection, but doesn’t know whether Mona’s come to help or to harm her and her family.
Mona Lisa Eyes
By M.D. Grayson
A modern version of a classic whodunit: Seattle PI Danny Logan investigates the murder of a beautiful heiress.
Danny Logan has known for a while that his partner, Antoinette “Toni” Blair is an extraordinarily gifted woman. But when she tells him one morning that Sophie Thoms is looking right at her with her “Mona Lisa Eyes”, speaking to her with her gaze alone, Logan starts to worry. And for good reason: Sophie Thoms was murdered three months ago.
The police are baffled by the case and they offer no objections when Sophie’s father, billionaire industrialist Sir Jacob Thoms, hires Logan PI to represent the family. Danny, Toni, and the rest of the crew dive headlong into a foreign world – a world of wealth and privilege, a world of beautiful women and their superstar boyfriends, a world where normal boundaries and limits no longer seem to apply.
They soon learn that this is not your normal PI case. Then again, nobody ever accused Danny Logan and Toni Blair of being your normal detectives.
NOW RELEASED! Danny Logan Mystery #5 – BLUE MOLLY is out!
Paradise Valley Mysteries Boxed Set
By Debra Burroughs
This boxed set contains The Scent of Lies: Book 1, The Heart of Lies: Book 2, The Chain of Lies: Book 3 – plus a BONUS Short Story (best read after reading at least one of the other books).
Emily Parker, a feisty young widow, decides to take over her late husband’s private investigation business in the affluent small town of Paradise Valley, hoping to solve the mystery of his murder. With the help of her close circle of friends and the sexy new police detective in town, Emily tackles other murder cases while discovering clues that her late husband wasn’t who he said he was.
***The Paradise Valley Mysteries***
The Scent of Lies: Book 1
The Heart of Lies: Book 2
The Edge of Lies: A Bridge Short Story between Books 2 and 3, the story of Evan & Emily
The Chain of Lies: Book 3
The Pursuit of Lies: Book 4
The Color of Lies: a Bridge Short Story between Books 4 and 5, the story of Colin & Miranda
The Betrayal of Lies: Book 5
The Harbor of Lies: Book 6
(*Most enjoyable if these books are read in order.)
Dangerous Habits
By Susan Hunter
A dead nun, a smart reporter, a stunning climax.
Equal parts smart and smartass, reporter Leah Nash is rarely at a loss for words. But when she receives a cryptic message from a nun asking for help, just hours after the woman’s body is pulled from the river, Leah is stunned.
The dead woman was on staff at DeMoss Academy, a residential school for troubled kids run by an order of Catholic nuns. Leah’s self-destructive younger sister Lacey had died there five years earlier.
The nun’s note and an old newspaper clipping attached to it propel Leah into a search for the truth about her sister’s “accidental” death. But it’s a mystery no one wants her to pursue. Not her publisher, who orders her to stop making waves. Not the director of DeMoss Academy, who’s concerned about the school’s reputation. Certainly not the politician’s wife worried about Lacey’s connection to her husband.
As Leah starts closing in on the real story behind her sister’s death, someone starts closing in on her. And just when she’s got it all figured out, a shocking revelation changes everything.
Leah Nash is part “smart and smartass” and all of Dangerous Habits is smartly done. I enjoyed getting to know Leah as she’s drawn into one threatening situation after another. She never backs down and doesn’t give up, and her strength as well as stubbornness creates tension and builds suspense. The action is fast-paced with enough surprises that I was left guessing to the end. I thought I had it figured out, but I was wrong. I love the title of the book, which is perfect for its plot and characters with “habits” serving as a double entendre that Leah is determined to unravel. I see that Dangerous Habits is the first book in what I hope will become a series. I want to know what Leah does next.
Keep the Ghost
By Scott Kelly
Kayla is about to commit pseudocide. She’s met a couple of experts, and they’ve sold her on faking her death – wiping the slate clean, emerging a new person. But, she needs a witness. When Kayla begs, Sean gets roped in. I mean, nothing too serious: just lie about when he last saw her.
Except, things fall apart in a hurry. The police don’t see an accident, they see murder – and Sean is their suspect. She’s vanished, and he’s facing prison.
His only hope is to chase Kayla’s trail and reach out to the enigmatic strangers who make a life out of pretending to be dead. They call it enlightenment, but Sean calls it crazy. But at least they have a plan, even if the first step is to kill himself. Will Sean have the strength to take the plunge? And if he does, who will come out the other side?
It’s Just a Little Crush
By Caroline Fardig
Meet Lizzie Hart. Small town girl…big time problems.
Hindered only by her raging crush on the office hunk, wannabe sleuth Lizzie Hart spies, accuses, and gossips her way to the truth in this bestselling first book of The Lizzie Hart Mysteries Series!
The sleepy town of Liberty hasn’t seen murder in…well…ever. Residents are stunned when the body of a young woman is found strangled, and reporters at the Liberty Chronicle are thrilled, rather disturbingly, over the biggest news story to hit town this century.
Lizzie Hart has even bigger problems. Lately, she can’t seem to concentrate on her job as copy editor at the Chronicle with the new hunky investigative reporter, Blake Morgan, swaggering around the office. How can a girl work when she’s using all of her energy combating Blake-induced hot flashes and struggling to repress the giggly inner schoolgirl that’s constantly rearing her dorky head? It’s a good thing that Blake barely knows Lizzie exists.
After an odd string of events, however, Lizzie begins to wonder if Blake is really as fabulous as she has fantasized. When Lizzie and Blake find a co-worker dead, Blake’s personality changes completely—and not in a good way. Even though the police rule the death as an accident, Lizzie immediately suspects foul play and senses a connection to the recent murder. She is determined to bring the killer to justice, but is having some trouble getting her Nancy Drew on thanks to the pesky stalker she’s picked up—Blake Morgan. Wait, didn’t she want him to follow her around and pay attention to her? Not like this. Blake has turned from cool and smooth to cold and downright scary, making Lizzie wonder if he should be next on her suspect list.
Angel Dance
By M.D. Grayson
From M.D. Grayson comes the action packed Danny Logan debut mystery, Angel Dance.
Praise for Angel Dance:
“The intensity continues to build. Just when you think you have it solved, Grayson throws you a wild curve. It was an excellent read. I highly recommend it.”
Mack McCormick, Author, Terrorist at the Bus Stop
“Angel Dance was so much fun to read that I completed it in one day in Cape Cod on vacation. In fact, I resented anyone who interrupted my reading time!”
Bella Luna, Book Reviewer
Overview:
Gina Fiore – beautiful Seattle heiress has vanished.
A foreign drug cartel and a Chicago organized crime family are looking.
Can Danny Logan rescue her before the noose closes?
Scandal, Temptation & a Taste of Flan
By Alison Janda
Book 3 in the Marian Moyer series!
Kidnapped. Nearly murdered – twice. Marian Moyer has spent the last few months avoiding any and all drama. Save for that time she decided whether she’d turn up the heat with smoldering James Holden or heart-stopping Mika Andrushkiv.
Unfortunately, Marian’s drama-free days are over with the arrival of Hollywood starlet Carmen Suarez. Brought in to model for Food Porn, Carmen’s face on the magazine cover will host benefits that, until now, Marian has only dreamt about. If she can just survive Carmen’s attitude, that is.
But when Carmen turns up dead and all fingers point to Marian’s BFF and business partner, Addison Dawes, Marian is forced to uncover the real truth behind Carmen’s death. Of course, what she finds brings several long-buried secrets to the surface – secrets that might have been better left unknown.
This was a very good book. Marian, Mika, and James work very well together to find out who really committed the crime when their friend, Addison, is accused. This book has mob fathers, actresses, hunky PIs, computer experts, paparazzi, reporters, and other unique characters. Marian and her partners work hard to get Addison out of jail and find the killer. The characters are well written with humor and romance. The plot is different than other mysteries; they’re up down and have multiple unexpected twists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.
Cupid’s Love Potion – Mystery of the Golden Arrow
By Barbara Ivie Green
“Laugh out loud romantic mystery”
Laugh along as the puzzle unravels in this delightfully dangerous whodunit full of zany humor, heartwarming romance, haunted histories, and ancient mysteries.
This is the second installment in Barbara Ivie Green’s series of supernatural adventures, (Paranormally Yours). The hilarious Jacques is back! And he is funnier than ever! Will he finally find his treasure, or will someone dear to him end up sleeping with the fishes?
In this tale of love potions and flying arrows, Cupid is on a mission to reunite two of mythologies greatest star-crossed lovers. Can he bring this fated couple together, or will he and love be lost to the world forever?
What do you get when a lonely librarian, her dreamy guardian angel, a merciless madman, a jealous reporter, a cranky ghost, a jovial jaguar, and three surprisingly streetwise and sexy matriarchs are thrown together for Valentine’s season?
A fast paced, action-packed, mystical thriller that is sure to touch your heart!
Amber has been forced to change her identity and live as an outcast to remain one step ahead of a cruel madman. She has learned to hide anything and everything that may attract attention. She has the spinster look down to a science–complete with cat. Unfortunately, her past has come back to haunt her . . . she only wishes she could remember it.
Being the new librarian in town comes with some complex issues when the cranky ghost that haunts the place makes herself known. The arrows start to fly, and the last thing Amber needs is to be rescued and placed into the protective care of a Greek god who makes her feel alive again. If only she could escape the lovably wacky family that has taken her in, she just might survive . . . but will Cupid?
Valentine’s Day takes on a whole new meaning in this humorous, romantic adventure!
Dead Wood
By Dan Ames
In the exclusive enclave of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, a woman who builds custom guitars is murdered. A disgraced ex-cop turned private investigator is hired by the dead woman’s father and immediately becomes the target of a violent ex-convict. An enigmatic music star performs damage control on her links to the dead woman. And a professional killer who idolizes Keith Richards is brought into town by a mysterious employer.
Dead Wood is what great mysteries are all about: love, hate, faith and vengeance, all wrapped up in an explosive story that simply refuses to let up.
“Dead Wood is a fast-paced, unpredictable mystery with an engaging narrator and a rich cast of original supporting characters.” –Thomas Perry, Edgar-winning author of The Butcher’s Boy.
“From its opening lines, Dani Amore and her private eye novel DEAD WOOD recall early James Ellroy: a fresh attitude and voice and the heady rush of boundless yearning and ambition. Amore delivers a vivid evocation of time and place in a way that few authors achieve, nailing the essence of her chosen corner of high-tone Michigan. She also deftly dodges the pitfalls that make so much contemporary private detective fiction a mixed bag and nostalgia-freighted misfire. Amores’ detective has family; he’s steady. He’s not another burned-out, booze-hound hanging on teeth and toenails to the world and smugly wallowing in his own ennui. This is the first new private eye novel in a long time that just swept me along for the ride. Amore is definitely one to watch.” — Edgar-nominated author Craig McDonald
Dani Amore’s writing reminds me of the great thriller writers — lean, mean, no nonsense prose that gets straight to the point and keeps you turning those pages.” –author Robert Gregory Browne
“As gritty as the Detroit streets where it’s set, DEAD WOOD grabs you early on and doesn’t let go. As fine a a debut as you’ll come across this year, maybe any year.” –author Tom Schreck
Bollywood Storm: Book II: Mumbai
By N.K. Johel
Can a mystical American detective solve the mysteries of India? . . . Bollywood Storm is an intricate, mystical murder mystery, set in Bollywood-style. With a dash of Kill Bill, this novel will not disappoint those readers expecting action; it’s also a profound meditation on self, identity, ego, intimacy, sensuality, spirituality, fame and obscurity, privilege and loss in both Eastern and Western frameworks; and it’s got five song and dance numbers in it, too.
The mazza of this story unfolds in two Books, spanning two continents.
Book II: Mumbai
Elanna Forsythe George’s unpredictable mystical powers lead her to Mumbai, where she must attempt to work with her two headstrong South Asian alter egos to infiltrate the Bollywood scene, unravel the serpentine Bhujangen cult that controls the Mumbai filmi-industry, and finally expose the dark forces behind the deaths of renowned Bollywood director Rajesh Sharma, and more than half of his illegitimate children.
“N. K. Johel delivers an even more masterful writing performance in Book II . . . superb! . . . Where does it all end in this wildly imaginative mystery?This second book has turned into Ellery Queen meets Stephen King – and it’s all utterly believable, so skilled is the author at portraying the deep dilemma in which Elanna finds herself . . .and, again, the out-of-body sequences are superb.
But wait. Who’s the tall, elderly man with a beige turban, wearing a matching kurta and pajamas with red, black and gold mojan on his feet? . . . ” Publisher’s Daily Reviews
White Cloud Retreat
By Diane Harman
What could possibly go wrong at a beautiful Oregon vineyard overlooking the ocean? Could the White Cloud Retreat Center on the vineyard, run by a world famous Buddhist Zen Master hold a deep, dark secret? Murder, for one thing, but who could possibly have a motive for killing the beloved Zen Master?
Solving the mystery is the job of Sheriff Mike, ably assisted by his soon-to-be-wife, Kelly, an amateur sleuth, and their two dogs, Rebel and Lady. The vineyard is famous for its White Cloud Pinot Noir wines and the coffee shop that Kelly owns, Kelly’s Koffee Shop, is equally popular with customers looking for good food.
This is the third book in the popular Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery series. Plenty of good food and lovable dogs! The authors has been named as an Amazon All-Star seven times. To see more of her books, please go to http://www.dianneharman.com.
Season of the Raven
By Denise Domning
A MILLER FOUND UNDER HIS WHEEL
It’s 1194 and Sir Faucon de Ramis, the shire’s newly appointed Keeper of the Pleas, must do his duty and make an official declaration of the cause of a miller’s death. Saddled with a clerk who names Faucon his ‘penance’, the shire’s first Crowner must thread the tangled relationships between the sheriff, the village of Priors Holston and the priory that once ruled it. As a simple task takes a turn to the political, what seems obvious isn’t and what appears safe turns out to be more dangerous than he could imagine.
“In this Medieval mystery of stunning realism, Domning brings the English countryside alive with all the rich detail of a Bosch painting. With well realized characters and a depth of historical detail, she creates a vibrant mystery and a layered, engaging protagonist. CSI 12th century style. I can’t wait to see more.”
— Christina Skye, New York Times best-selling author of A Highlander for Christmas
“Pure and unapologetically Medieval, (Season of the Raven) reads like a Hollywood movie because of Ms. Domning’s ability to create a properly dismal and dark High Middle Age setting…The world of Medieval justice is revealed in all of its shortcomings. I can’t recommend it highly enough. Five solid stars.”
— Kathryn LeVeque, author of The Wolfe
The Blue Cottage: A Short Ghost Story
By Grace Geyer
Short story of approximately 8,000 words and is a standalone book from the series.
Introducing Miranda Moore, a divorced woman, who moves to a seaside town called Delphin Beach, opens a mystical store, and buys the blue cottage next door to her friend.
Something strange is happening though in the blue cottage. Is it something paranormal or just plain wicked? Can the ghost of her mother help her to get to the bottom of this mystery?
Miranda must conquer doubts in herself and trust her abilities to discover the answers before anyone else gets hurt.
I really enjoyed this novella. It had believable characters and the story line was interesting as well as a bit of fun. I liked the cat as well.
30 Days
By K. Larsen
Abused by her husband. Dealing with the loss of her only sister. A suicide attempt that doesn’t end in death and a husband who wants her inheritance. Elle’s life is a catastrophe. But she has a list and thirty things she’s determined to accomplish. Love isn’t on that list but it comes crashing unexpectedly into her life.
Ryan’s current lifestyle requires a lot of funds, he likes his toys. He married his wife knowing she had a hefty inheritance and is bent on securing it for himself by any means possible.
Boxing coach and personal trainer at the gym he co-owns, Colin’s content with his life. Until a chance meeting with a woman eating alone at a restaurant sets his heart in motion. As secrets unveil themselves his only goal becomes holding on to what he’s found.
Dr. Rand is floundering in the wake of his wife leaving him. His alimony payments are forcing him towards bankruptcy at an alarming rate. When he’s offered a large lump sum that would solve his problems, he takes it, condemning an innocent woman to a life of misery.
SWAMPED
By Sandy Gingras
Nobody goes to Florida in June. Except Lola Polenta. But, when you’re running away from your awful marriage, your boring teaching career and your life in New Jersey, you have to run to somewhere, right?
Except what happens when, if on the first night in your new home, you’re walking your dog and you trip and fall on top of a dead guy? What happens when the detective investigating the death (who also happens to be incredibly cute) thinks you killed the guy?
What happens is you better figure out who DID kill him.
But that’s not easy when you’re only on lesson two of the Online Private Detective Training Institute.
Sandy Gingras is the winner of the 2012 Debut Dagger Award presented by the Crime Writers Association (CWA) and is the author and illustrator of twenty-four books. She lives on an island in New Jersey with her husband, son, and golden retriever, Quincy.
Flash
By Tim Tigner
WHAT WOULD YOU DO if you woke up to the sound of screaming . . .
in the trunk of a car . . .
beside a dead cop . . .
with no idea where you were . . .
or why . . .
or when?
In FLASH, Troy and Emmy are about to find out.
Imagine THE BOURNE IDENTITY meets THE FIRM.
“Exciting from beginning to end!” —Sandra L. Whaley
“I like this author!! I enjoy his sense of humor, his characters and his style.” —Connie L. Scheible
“This story is so fast paced that I was afraid to put it down for fear it would rush on without me!” —Sue Inge
________________________________________
TWO BLOOD-SPATTERED STRANGERS awake, locked in the trunk of a car—with a murdered cop and the smoking gun. Aside from raging headaches and no idea what’s happened, they appear to have nothing in common. Troy thinks it’s 2001 and he’s still a combat surgeon fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. Emmy believes it’s 2002 and she’s still grifting a living from the streets of L.A.
Are they archenemies or coconspirators? Lovers or friends? What are they doing in the Caribbean, and why is a Croatian assassin determined to kill them? The only thing they know for certain is that they’ll be spending the rest of their lives in prison if the police catch them before they learn the truth.
To the Bone
By Jeff Carson
Chief Detective David Wolf’s son has a new girlfriend, and when she discovers her father—a well known man in ancient fossils trade circles—has been murdered, she and the rest of her shattered family turn to Wolf to bring them justice.
With the help of a small town sheriff and a retired police dog named Jet, Wolf follows the clues to a dig site in northwest Colorado, where secrets have been entombed for eons, and people are dying to keep them that way.
In a place where killing monsters are buried under the earth, it becomes clear there are still some roaming topside, and in this suspense-filled seventh installment of the David Wolf series, Wolf must keep his wits or his bones will be found next.
As soon as this book was offered for sale, I downloaded it, stopped reading my current book and picked this one right up and hardly put it down. Now I’m right back where I was, eagerly waiting for the next David Wolf book! I loved Jet!! I hope he returns in the next book, I don’t like seeing David alone all the time! Great, captivating and entirely different book from anything I’ve read! I love my heroic, handsome, male, lead characters. I currently follow 5-6 of them. The one I had been reading, seemed to regurgitate the old story, and put the fragments together and call it a new book….not quite. Each and every David Wolf book follows the characters, but in a new, fresh plot. I loved this book, I think you will too!
Death in the English Countryside
By Sara Rosett
An English Village Cozy for Fans of M.C. Beaton…
Location scout and Jane Austen aficionado, Kate Sharp, is thrilled when the company she works for lands the job of finding locations for a new film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, but then her boss, Kevin, fails to return from a scouting trip to England. Afraid that Kevin has slipped back into some destructive personal habits he struggles with, Kate travels to England to salvage Kevin’s and the company’s reputation before word gets out that he is missing.
Things go from bad to worse when Kate arrives in Nether Woodsmoor, a quaint village of golden stone cottages and rolling green hills, only to find no trace of Kevin except his abandoned luggage. Even the rumpled, easygoing local scout they consulted, Alex, doesn’t know where Kevin might be.
Increasingly worried about Kevin and with an antsy director waiting for updates about the preproduction details, Kate embarks on a search that includes a pub crawl and cozy cottages as well as stately country manors. But Kevin remains missing, and she begins to suspect that the picturesque village and beautiful countryside may not be as idyllic as they seem.
Footprints of a Dancer
By Bob Avey
Most of us come into this world with an inborn need for religion, a higher power to believe in. However, when fear and misunderstanding are the driving forces behind that desire, the door is left open for anything that cares to enter.
Eight years ago, Laura Bradford mysteriously disappeared off campus, causing quite a disturbance in the lives of Kenny Elliot and Gerald Reynolds, a journalism student with a fascination with Mesoamerican artifacts. When Gerald calls unexpectedly to tell Elliot he’s recently seen Laura then sets up a meeting only to be a no-show, Elliot tracks him down to get some answers. Instead he finds his old friend murdered in ritualistic fashion.
Elliot takes a leave of absence from his job as a Tulsa police detective and launches an unofficial investigation, which leads him into a fuzzy realm of existence where malignant forces blur the lines between what is real and what is imagined, and where making the wrong choices is eternally expensive.
Acclaim for the novels of Bob Avey
“Avey’s debut has much to recommend it. The pace and fine plotting will grab your attention. The twists and turns will catch you by surprise.”
– The Tulsa World
“Avey draws his characters convincingly. Full of surprises, Twisted Perception may accurately be called a page-turner.”
– Daily Oklahoman
“Bob Avey has penned another page-turner and you will find it difficult to put down.”
– Terry South, Quality Book Reviews
“Twisted Perception is a promising mystery debut, filled with twists and turns you won’t see coming.”
– Bestselling author William Bernhardt
“I highly recommend this book (Twisted Perception) as it is quite the page-turner.”
– Gina Metz, Crime Spree Magazine
“Bob Avey is a master of quirky characters and hard-boiled mysteries with enough twists and turns to satisfy even the most demanding mystery fans.”
– Bestselling author Charles W. Sasser
“If you want to curl up with a book that makes you jump when the floor creaks, be sure to read Twisted Perception.”
– Spur Award winning author Dusty Richards
Bollywood Storm: Book I: New York
By N.K. Johel
Mystery lovers, rejoice!
Can a mystical American detective solve the mysteries of India? . . . Bollywood Storm is an intricate, multicultural comedy in the form of a Bollywood Murder Mystery. With a dash of Kill Bill, this novel will not disappoint those readers expecting action; it’s also a profound meditation on self, identity, ego, intimacy, sensuality, spirituality, fame and obscurity, privilege and loss in both Eastern and Western frameworks; and it’s got the five song and dance numbers in it, too.
The mazza of the story unfolds in two Books, spanning two continents.
Elanna Forsythe George is a Boston born, New York forensic scientist who takes on only cold cases, stone cold dead cases. She solves mysteries in unusual ways with her accidentally acquired, para-mystical abilities. Her cases come to her a few years after high-powered mainstream investigations, police and legal proceedings have all failed, and there’s a dead end. But she doesn’t take every case.
Book I: New York
Elanna is hired by the Bollywood starlet, Simryn Gill, to reopen the case of Rajesh Sharma, a renowned Bollywood director who died supposedly from a heart attack two years previous. Although it appears a simple heart attack, there is no drama, no gossip, no controversy in the Bollywood media. Somewhere, in that odd conspicuous silence, Elanna smells a big rat.
Murder, Mayhem and Bliss
By Loulou Harrington
Nothing much happens in Myrtle Grove, Oklahoma. So when prominent businessman Harry Kerr is discovered face down in his pool shortly after dawn, the breakfast crowd in Jesse Camden’s tea room is buzzing. Recognizing the name, Jesse hurries to her friend Vivian Windsor, Myrtle Grove’s resident oil heiress and great-aunt to Bliss Kerr, widow of the deceased and soon-to-be prime suspect in his suspicious death.
Clearing Bliss and finding the real murderer isn’t what Jesse meant when she offered her assistance. And wrangling an eager band of helpers while chasing a tangle of leads across the countryside, tripping over deputies and evidence along the way, isn’t her first choice for her weekend. But here she is, and here she will be, hearing secrets no one should know, and discovering betrayals no one could live with, until Jesse finds her way through the maze of deceit to uncover the real kill.
5-Star Review by Julia Hopkinson for Readers’ Favorite
I loved reading Murder, Mayhem and Bliss… writing is excellent… story is a smooth and easy read; the dialogue is realistic and believable, and the characters are… well-drawn and good fun… reminded me of Duffy Brown… Jesse is a warm and likeable lead… cast is entertaining. The mystery itself is juicy… plenty of suspects… plot progresses logically. I would heartily recommend this to all cozy mystery fans!
5-Star Review by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite
…a well-plotted and tasty story that might have you dreaming of cinnamon buns and freshly made bread while you read. Jesse and her mother co-own a tea shop where much of the action and all of the baking occur. Harrington’s sleuth is methodical and enthusiastic but… not… on good terms with the local sheriff… fun to watch as… the ladies from the tea shop gather clues and sift out the red herrings. …a fast-paced story that I found hard to put down. I’m looking forward to future investigations featuring Jesse and the… garden club.
5-Star Review by Patricia Day for Readers’ Favorite
…a delightful read. The title describes the story well. The attention to detail while keeping the story light and the characters plausible makes the book hard to put down. …skillfully weaves each figure into and out of the tale without causing confusion… I found myself running beside Jesselyn and agreeing with her clandestine activities in her determination to bring justice… The surprise ending caught me unawares. I tend to attempt to solve any crimes.., but this one I missed. This is a good, clean and entertaining read.
Lifetime Loser
By James Ross
Fictional Crime Thriller – How To Steal A Golf Course
Civil Fraud In A Small Business
For fifteen years head golf pro J Dub Schroeder ran a golf course for his elderly partner. When it was time to purchase the business he found that he was the unknowing accomplice in the swindle of an estate. Furthermore he discovers that his partner had been skimming profits for years. When the IRS comes knocking he is thrown into a criminal investigation that jeopardizes his ability to purchase the business.
J Dub is thrown into a civil justice system that is lengthy and costly to protect the interests of his family. His ruthless adversary aligns himself with a dishonest attorney, a deceitful accountant, and a corrupt politician to derail the government investigation and IRS audit. No one seems to penetrate the walls of the isolated fortress until J Dub risks it all to fight for what is his.
White-collar crime. Do you stand a chance?
˃˃˃ The Swindle of an Estate
To cover up a crime Lewferd E. Zerrman aligns himself with an unethical lawyer, a deceitful accountant, a corrupt politician, and the untrustworthy owner of a title company. The group knowingly forges the signature of a wealthy widow. The lifetime journey of a liar, cheat, and fraud begins.
In pursuit of greed Lew recruits a young golf pro to be his partner. For fifteen years he manipulates the books, steals cash from the business, and is a daily nuisance to the customers. When it is time to turn over the keys the IRS comes knocking wanting to know about accounting improprieties. At the direction of an overzealous female US Attorney two investigators from the Criminal Investigative Division of the IRS hound the band of criminals.
To protect his family J Dub does what he has to do in a civil courtroom to protect the interests of his family. Who said real life was anything like the “gentleman’s game?”
˃˃˃ A Character-Based Legal Thriller
Be ready for a back and forth legal thriller that delves into the lives of a scam artist crook and his victim. Unfamiliarity about golf forces Lewferd E. Zerrman to recruit a rube, head golf professional J Dub Schoeder, to pull off the heist. For fifteen years the self-serving antics of a pathetic manipulator demand attention.
However two criminal investigators barge onto the scene asking questions about accounting irregularities. Their chief informant is none other than the minority business partner. Not only is J Dub forced to answer questions about the business, but he learns that he was the unknowing participant in the land swindle of an estate.
Be prepared for a roller coaster ride of up-and-downs as the story details the actions of a white-collar thief and his victim.
A Dead Red Alibi
By R.P. Dahlke
When Lalla and her dad take a trip to Arizona to inspect her new property, Dad disappears. Panicked that he’s lost in the desert, Lalla enlists the help of a local tracker and finds him unharmed−in the bottom of a mine pit. And he’s got company−a very dead local police chief. Oddly, a young artist from a local art colony has also been strangled in her own bed. What’re the chances that these two murders are going to be related? Well, if you’re Lalla Bains, you don’t guess, you start looking for the killer!
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Stephanie Plum step aside, by Alana Woods blogger
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“When I see a book come up on my reading lists by RP Dahlke, I dive for them. I love her wit in her story telling. She develops great, believable characters that are easy to get to know …” Pamela S, Amazon
The Legend of Devil’s Creek
By D.C. Alexander
Caution: Story contains strong profanity and descriptions of violent acts.
When a mutilated corpse is found bound to a tree deep in the forest of remote Aubrey Island, Washington, residents learn that the murder mirrors, in every ritualistic detail, a series of revenge killings described in a century-old local ghost story. More abductions and killings soon follow.
Justin Riddley, recently transferred to the island’s small college, faces growing evidence that one of his new friends and fellow students may be the murderer. John Marshall, redemption-seeking captain of the local police force, leads the frantic murder investigation and struggles to figure out whether the killings are tied to the island’s dark and violent past. Tormented by tragic wartime memories, and more convinced with each day that it is humanity’s fate to destroy itself, Marshall races against both the murderer and the specter of his own mental breakdown.
As blood continues to spill, Riddley and Marshall wonder whether there may be a dark, universal force that drives evil deeds great and small, and whether the nature of one’s childhood might sometimes, in the end, be all that separates the saint from the psychopath.
Ashes
By Kelly Cozy
Anonymous. That was Jennifer’s life. But when she survived a domestic terrorist attack and her last-minute escape became the iconic image of the event, that life was over. Wanting only to disappear and become just another face in the crowd, she cashed in on her unwanted fame and moved to a small town, hidden away and safe.
Retired. That was Sean’s life. A former covert operative – the kind the government denies exists – he’d been pushed unwillingly into a life of suburban peace and quiet. But his retirement ended when he saw Jennifer’s rescue; from then on he only wanted to find those responsible for the attack, even if it meant turning rogue.
What Jennifer and Sean will both find is that nothing goes to plan, and their paths will cross in a way neither could have foreseen.
Played to Death
By B,V. Lawson
A Shamus Award Finalist and Named Best Mystery in the 2015 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
Still suffering nightmares from a case that ended tragically, brilliant freelance crime consultant Scott Drayco considers retiring from crime solving altogether. When a former client bequeaths Drayco a rundown Opera House in a Virginia seaside town, he figures he’ll arrange for a quick sale of the place while nursing his battered soul in a peaceful setting near the shore.
What he doesn’t count on is finding a dead body on the Opera House stage with a mysterious “G” carved into the man’s chest. With hopes for a quick sale dashed and himself a suspect in the murder, Drayco digs into very old and very dangerous secrets to solve the crime and clear his name. Along the way, Drayco must dodge a wary sheriff, hostility over coastal development, and the seductive wife of a town councilman – before the tensions explode into more violence and he becomes the next victim.
Want to read a Scott Drayco novella for FREE? Sign up for BV’s Mysteries in Crimetime newsletter at bvlawson.com and receive a FREE copy of “The Maltese Moon Rock”!
Scott Drayco Thrillers in order:
PLAYED TO DEATH (A Shamus Award Finalist and Best Mystery, Next Generation Book Awards)
REQUIEM FOR INNOCENCE
DIES IRAE
Praise for BV’s Mysteries in Crimetime:
“Lawson uses the gothic features of the abandoned Opera House to great effect, creating an atmospheric background for the crimes and the solving of them, all of it accompanied with music that’s almost like another character. The pace never sagged and it kept me enthralled.” – Long and Short Reviews
“Lawson’s book was so good, I read it twice from beginning to end…The citizens of Cape Unity are as diverse and multi-layered as any person living in the large cities, and Lawson portrayed them splendidly.” – Reader’s Favorite Reviews
“The storyline here is nicely structured, and creatively ties together two murder mysteries, which occurred decades apart. The small town setting is ideal, the lead character engaging, and the supporting cast interesting and diverse. Overall, a solid start to this series.” – Omnimystery News
“A nice tight mystery in a realistic setting. Totally enjoyable.” – Terrie Farley Moran, national bestselling author of the Read ‘Em and Eat Mystery Series
“Now this story was close to brilliance…The plot was fast, dark and thrilling.” – IHeartReading.net
All in all, an excellent read for lovers of quality mystery fiction.” – Jacqueline Seewald, author of The Inferno Collection
Schooled
By Christa Charter
Videogames, Sex, and Murder
When a young woman’s nude body is discovered on the Xenon game company’s corporate campus, community manager Lexy Cooper gets an early morning call from her uncle, homicide detective Mike Malick, to ID the corpse. As Malick investigates the crime, Lexy works the case from inside Xenon and discovers more about the seedy underbelly of the games industry than she ever wanted to know.
Lexy Cooper is THE sexy heroine for the gaming generation. She not only has an amazing job at a video game company, but she has a hot uncle who is a cop. Together, they use their valuable traits and very different methods to track down a killer.
The characters are brought to life through everything from their appearance to their personal hygiene bringing a wonderful realism to the dark world they inhabit. Some characters are vile, some are sweet but all have dark secrets.
This book is a non-stop roller coaster ride of raunch, murder and mayhem that you will not want to put down until you’re done. It’s a book that will appeal to all – Lexy’s the chick girls want to be and the chick every guy wants to do.
Absolutely loved it. Can’t wait for the next one!
The Isherwood Case Files
By Johnny Scotland
Mystery: The Isherwood Case Files
Mystery 1: The Mystery of the Missing Wives
Isherwood is the new boy in town, a well known British detective brought into the Los Angeles Police department’s homicide squad to help get better results. Although Charley doesn’t like the idea, he has no choice but to put up with it. Isherwood shows the squad what difference observation makes to how a potential crime scene is viewed, when asked to help by a member of the public who is worried for the safety of her sister.
Is she right? Is the girl’s fiance a monster who has already killed his previous wives? The problem is that he is perceived as a high profile member of society and the Chief warns the detectives to tread carefully.
Will Isherwood tread on anyone’s ego as he provides insight on this potential murder case? This is the first of the series of Isherwood Case Files in which our detective gets up close and personal with homicide, showing the squad the difference between the American approach and the more reserved British approach.
Mystery 2:The Case of the Ghost Writer
With Jon Isherwood being asked to help in the Los Angeles Police Department’s homicide division, a call is received from a landlord who has found his tenant has been murdered. In this salubrious part of town, the ghost writer has found his demise.
Will the clues be sufficient to pin the murder on anyone? Since the ghost writer lived a very private life, investigation takes Isherwood and his team to the home of a rich and famous author. There are many questions unanswered, though with forensics on their side, will they be able to work out the motive that anyone could have had to kill the solitary figure?
Using observation, Isherwood and his team work toward finding a conclusion to a story which spells sadness, disappointment and revenge. But whose will the revenge be and will it be easy to crack the case? Readers will need to take the journey with our detectives to find the answers to their questions. Not all is always as it seems.
Mystery 3:The Case of the Dead Man with No Identity
When a victim is found at the bottom of the laundry chute in a hotel, where will the inquiries begin. There is no identification on the man and nothing to say who he was. Isherwood investigates the case of the dead man with no identity with his usual flare.
Should he be looking in other places or are the clues there for him to find? As the story unfolds, is the killer who they think it is? Can a killer actually be charged with murder when the victim is seemingly already dead?
One of Isherwood’s most irritating cases, the blandness of the whole affair baffles him. Instead of being riddled with detail for him to unfold, this crime comes with no clues, no answers and no real leads. How will the detectives find out who killed Ian Bradshaw? And what stories can the dead body tell the coroner’s office about how the death occurred? Readers will discover within the pages of this story.
Mystery 4: A Case of Check Mate
When a murderer leaves the calling card of a chess piece, Isherwood is left to find out the significance. Does this mean something particular? The preacher who was murdered seems an unlikely victim, though Isherwood is left to do what he can to make sense of the killing. Looking through past history, perhaps there are links that may have been missed, other than for that calling card.
This case takes Isherwood and his team into the land of chess, where much is symbolic and meaningful. Can our sleuth find the murderer in time or will another crime be committed? What chess piece will he leave this time…..
Mystery 5: The Case of the Travelling Salesman (Bonus)
Hollywood Blood
By M.Z. Kelly
LAPD Detective Kate Sexton and her canine partner, Bernie, return in this edge-of-your-seat thriller with laugh-out-loud humor. Hollywood Blood is the second book in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers.
If you think you’ve got problems, meet LAPD cop, Kate Sexton. She’s just been promoted to the department’s elite Robbery Homicide Division, along with her canine partner, Bernie, a first for the homicide unit. But things immediately go downhill when a famous singer’s manager is shot and killed during one of Kate’s mother’s psychic séances. While Kate tries to balance her troubled relationship with her mother and an ex-cop, things get even crazier when the killer strikes again . . . and again . . . and then targets those closest to the investigation.
As she tracks the killer, things turn even more bizarre when Kate learns the suspect in the homicides is the leader of a blood thirsty cult out for revenge. To make matters worse, Bernie’s sexual wanderlust is out of control, her best friend Natalie meddles in the case, and Kate’s boss thinks she’s leaking details about the murders to the press.
Hollywood Blood is a thrill ride, with even more sex, laughs, and twists & turns than the first book in the series, Hollywood Assassin. Other books in the Hollywood Alphabet Series Thrillers by MZ Kelly include: Hollywood Crazy and Hollywood Dirty. And coming soon, Hollywood Enemy!
Either Side of Midnight
By Tori de Clare
Reviews
“Either Side of Midnight is a must-read book for all mystery and/or suspense lovers. I rate this book as a ten-star and expect to see it as number one on the best selling list for many, many weeks.” Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers’ Favorite
“Either Side of Midnight is perfect for readers who like books that will screw with your mind. Fans of the Consequences series by Aleatha Romig in particular will love this book. A must read!” Laura Carter, Goodreads librarian.
“Just as I began to feel a sense of familiarity and comfort in the structure of the genre, It completely twisted and led me down a different path”
“This was one of the best books I have read this year. It was well-written, had an excellent, original plot and twists that I did not see coming”
“A supremely well-plotted story, expertly structured to keep you guessing right up to the end”
“At one point in the book I had to re-read the page three times because I couldn’t believe what had just happened!”
“Brilliantly written, this had me on edge for ages. Right up until the end I still didn’t know for sure how it would all turn out”
“Gripping from the start, it has a good mix of tension, romance and humour and refreshingly, without the need for gratuitous content”
“MORE PLEASE!!”
WHAT IF THE BEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE TURNED INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE?
When nineteen-year-old Naomi Stone is snatched from her husband at knifepoint on the night of their wedding and taken to a deserted cemetery, she knows her life is finished. Drugged and disorientated, she loses consciousness as she lies in an open grave with a gun to her head. But the following day, she mysteriously awakes to find herself unharmed and secured to a bed. She’s in a beautiful bedroom in a secluded cottage in open countryside. Only one person knows she’s there – the man in the balaclava who’s holding her, feeding her, revealing nothing. Naomi senses the unfolding of a plan. She should be on honeymoon in the Caribbean. Instead, she’s trapped with an emotionless psycho with no hope of escape . . . And his voice is chillingly familiar.
Who is he? What does he want? What’s happened to her husband? Where is she? Will anyone find her before it’s too late?
Bad Medicine
By Caroline Fardig
What do a smokin’ hot detective, an evil chiropractor, and a couple of blind dates from hell have in common? Lizzie has to wrangle them all in the third book of THE LIZZIE HART MYSTERIES series!
Lizzie Hart is overjoyed that six whole months have passed without a single murder in the sleepy town of Liberty. It’s also been six months since Blake Morgan heartlessly dumped her, but she’s determined to get over him. She’s slimmed down, ready to party, and injury-free, except for a little nagging pain in her ankle. She’s also very single, but her friends are doing everything in their power to fix that—including setting her up on one disastrous blind date after another.
Lizzie’s reprieve is short-lived when an old friend of hers is found dead from an apparent drug overdose. She wants to write it off as bad behavior after having seen the guy cheating on his wife with the new chiropractor in town. However, when she sees that same chiropractor playing doctor with another man who ends up dead, she worries there could be murder afoot.
Doing her best to stay on the right side of the law this time, Lizzie decides to go straight to the police with her suspicions. Unfortunately, the only cop available to speak with her is the stern yet hot new detective who has already given her a traffic ticket and a reprimand for public intoxication. Not surprisingly, he brushes her off, leaving her no choice but to begin snooping on her own. Lizzie soon learns she’s going to need help to get to the bottom of this mystery, but her best partner in crime solving, Blake, has turned into her worst enemy.
Can Lizzie and Blake find a way to work together to catch the killer…or will they kill each other first?
Murder Offstage
By L.B. Hathaway
“This novel is a first class cozy worthy of Agatha Christie.”
** Praise for ‘Murder Offstage’ by Sweet Mystery Books **
Like your mysteries cozy and set during the Golden Age of Crime? This is the first book in the Posie Parker mysteries, although this novel can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story in its own right. Set in London in 1921, ‘Murder Offstage’ is full of intrigue and red herrings. This is a classic murder mystery which will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey.
When Posie Parker’s childhood friend is robbed of a priceless jewel and becomes a suspect in a cold-blooded murder case, budding detective Posie vows she will clear his name. Aided by her seriously gorgeous assistant Len, Posie soon realizes things are not quite as they seem, and the darkly-glamorous world of London’s theatre and glittering nightclubs prove far more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Just who exactly is the dangerous Lucky Lucy Gibson? And who is it she has killed in the lobby of the Ritz Hotel? And more importantly, what on earth has happened to Mr Minks, the much-loved office cat?
SAVANNAH GONE
By Doug Keeler
Grab this hot new mystery-thriller from bestselling author Doug Keeler
Everyone in the state of Georgia believes expanding the Savannah Port is the single-most important economic development project in the entire state. Everyone except Marine Biologist Claire Robertson that is. When Claire goes missing, Private Investigator Ray Fontaine agrees to search for her. At first Ray thinks finding her will be an open and shut case.
But behind Savannah’s Gothic facade, everyone has a secret. As Ray begins to peel back the layers, he uncovers a growing list of suspects. To solve the case, Ray must put himself, and those he cares about, in mortal danger.
Reminiscent of Robert Craise, Nelson Demille, and John D. Macdonald at their finest, Savannah Gone is destined to be a classic.
Editorial Review: Ray Fontaine is Jack Reacher with a sense of humor. I Love this character. Amazon Reviewer
This top-rated mystery-thriller series is on sale for a limited-time to introduce you to the wildly popular character of Ray Fontaine.
Monarchs and Mendicants
By Dan Groat
A Journey from Tragedy to Triumph
From Despair to Hope
Navy Seal, Gifford Ulrich, returns to St. Louis from Afghanistan and tries to resume his old life, but the war within leaves him homeless and seeking only to survive. The Hacker is killing the homeless and Movay, the boss of the Benoit neighborhood, is abusing them. Gifford’s new “friends” need him, and soon he realizes, to make the passage from tragedy to triumph, he must fight his way from despair to hope.
“An opening to the human soul.”
“A novel you will long remember.”
“I could not put it down.”
“A fantastic thriller mystery novel.”
“Social commentary wrapped in a thriller.”
“Profound and moving prose you won’t forget.”
“I will never look at the homeless in the same way again.”
“You won’t know how to let go once the book ends.”
Readers’ Favorite Five-Star Seal Winner
Murder at Volcano House
By Chip Hughes
Kai Cooke comes to the Volcano House for his strangest case yet—protecting the CEO of a geothermal venture from the wrath of Pele, legendary goddess of volcanoes. Rex Ransom is here in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to attend the funeral for his second employee to die mysteriously in Pele’s domain. His wife sees a pattern and fears that Rex, having offended Pele by drilling in her sacred rainforest, is next. Kai is not so sure. But his faith in common sense receives a jolt when Ransom turns up in a steam vent, boiled alive. Kai investigates and finds others besides Pele who might want Ransom dead. An ex-wife, a former business partner, an anti-drilling activist, a loony woman who fancies herself Pele’s sister, and more. Did the goddess herself strike down Ransom? Or is the answer closer to home? A quick-paced, vivid, island-hopping ride, Murder at Volcano House gives fans of the Surfing Detective reason to cheer, and fans of Hawai’i—who is not?—a welcome journey to these storied isles.
“[E]ntertaining Hawaiian whodunit . . .” MURDER AT VOLCANO HOUSE “glides along at a satisfying clip . . . The landscape and characters are consistently colorful. [Kai] Cook appealingly lapses into the indigenous patios when talking to other locals . . . Hughes effectively uses the native Hawaiian language throughout and also provides vivid descriptions of the legendary island scenery. –Kirkus Reviews
“Hughes hard-bitten detective Kai Cooke ventures to Hawaii Island to investigate a series of mysterious deaths in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Some say it’s Pele exercising her wrath, since the dead all work in geothermal energy, but there are human suspects as well.”
–Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Blood Orchids
By Toby Neal
Fast-paced crime mystery with a touch of romance, readers call Blood Orchids “un-putdownable”!
“Sometimes in crime fiction you stumble across a character who lives on beyond the book’s end by virtue of their psychological complexity, and the richness with which the author has drawn them. Will Graham, Jack Reacher, Alex Cross, and now they have a worthy female counterpart in Lei Teixera. Blood Orchids is that rarity among debut novels, in that it satisfies on every level. A powerful new talent is on the scene, whole-heartedly recommended.”-Drew Cross, former police officer and author of BiteMarks
Hawaii is palm trees, black sand and blue water—but for policewoman Lei Texeira, there’s a dark side to paradise.
Lei has overcome a scarred past to make a life for herself as a cop in the sleepy Big Island town of Hilo. On a routine patrol she finds two murdered teenagers—one of whom she’d recently busted. With its echoes of her own past, the murdered girl’s harsh life and tragic death affect Lei deeply. She becomes obsessed—even as the killer is drawn to Lei’s intensity, feeding off her vulnerabilities and toying with her sanity.
Despite her obsession with the case and fear that she’s being stalked, Lei finds herself falling in love for the first time. Steaming volcanoes, black sand beaches and shrouded fern forests are the backdrop to Lei’s quest for answers—and the stalker is closer than she can imagine, as threads of the past tangle in her future. Lei is determined to find the killer—but he knows where to find her first.
Found, Near Water
By Katherine Hayton
Rena Sutherland wakes from a coma into a mother’s nightmare. Her daughter is missing – lost for four days – but no one has noticed; no one has complained; no one has been searching.
As the victim support officer assigned to her case, Christine Emmett puts aside her own problems as she tries to guide Rena through the maelstrom of her daughter’s disappearance.
A task made harder by an ex-husband desperate for control; a paedophile on early-release in the community; and a psychic who knows more than seems possible.
And intertwined throughout, the stories of six women; six daughters lost.
I thought that not knowing was the worst thing I could ever endure. Not knowing if she was in trouble or needing my help or in pain. I worried that she’d been taken by someone that would hurt her, then I worried that she’d been taken by someone who would love her and care for her and in a year or two she’d have forgotten I ever existed. Not knowing was killing me.
The police found her body stuffed into an old recycling bin out the back of a sleep-out. My beautiful girl had been bent to fit as though she was just a piece of rubbish, something to be disposed of.
When I went to the hospital to identify my beautiful girl’s broken body – that was worse than not knowing. When I buried her in the cemetery and compared the size of the gravesite to the other freshly buried bodies – that was worse than not knowing. When I drank myself to sleep on the anniversary of her sixth birthday, and realised that I would likely be doing that until my life ended – that was worse than not knowing.
The Last Witness
By Jerry Amernic
The year is 2039, and Jack Fisher is the last living survivor of the Holocaust. Set in a world that is abysmally complacent about events of the last century, Jack is a 100-year-old man whose worst memories took place before he was 5. His story hearkens back to the Jewish ghetto of his birth and to Auschwitz where, as a little boy, he had to fend for himself to survive after losing his family. Jack becomes the central figure in a missing-person investigation when his granddaughter suddenly disappears. While assisting police, he finds himself in danger and must reach into the darkest corners of his memory to come out alive.
Confection Connection
By Lizz Lund
From the funny author of Kitchen Addiction! AND Christmas Bizarre:
5-STAR READER’S FAVORITE REVIEW for CONFECTION CONNECTION: “Lizz Lund uses humor and a delightfully quirky cast of supporting characters to keep Mina hopping from one plot point to the next. I was annoyed every time real life interrupted my reading of Confection Connection. I would have loved to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate and a fancy confection loaded with frosting and read Mina’s tale from cover to cover. “
Valentine’s Day stinks – literally – after a shift at The Shrimp Shack, getting showered with a vat of marinara and being haunted by a messy ghost.
The romance holiday looms large for Mina Kitchen – a forty-something single without a boyfriend in sight, and a catering disorder to beat the band. Everyone else is all set: even her Swiffer-addicted neighbor Vito (the ex-leader of the Moils, the Jewish-Polish Family from Bumville, New Jersey) has a significant other. Who knew?
And then there’s her best friend Trixie. She’s got a steady boyfriend, and a full time job with plenty of OT, too. She’s even quit smoking! Except now she’s a jelly junkie. Well, not just jelly – any sweet will do.
What’s a girl to do? Set her sights on handsome Chef? Or dare a flirt with juicy James? Who you gonna call? GumBuster! Wait, that’s just one of Mina’s new part time jobs.
Romance fills the air (or is that fried chicken?) but dates remain elusive as a series of mysterious thefts rattle the shop owners of Lancaster “Pee-Ay”. Can mild-mannered Mina land a full time job, a boyfriend and save Trixie’s waistline without getting konked by some creepy crook? Vinnie, her mini mountain lion-sized cat keeps assuring her everything will turn out fine – but he’s been wrong before.
If you’re looking for funny novels for women, packed with humor, chatty animals (in the guise of pets) — and recipes — read this book. The third book in the witty Mina Kitchen Comedies, Confection Connection is funny fiction with a bit of suspense mixed in.
Confection Connection is a cozy comedy mystery packed with laughs, mysterious thefts and a culinary ghost – with a cherry on top – a bonus section of recipes. Set in Lancaster, “Pee-Ay” you’ll discover quirky characters, hysterical dialogue and funny surprises simmering away. Savor it as your new favorite beach read.
The Fallen Body
By Slone Patrick
In Patrick’s debut thriller, a small-town Texas lawyer may be getting too close to finding the killer who murdered her client’s husband.
When Texas Rangers arrest Sarah Baines for murdering her philandering husband, she’s already got a lawyer: Taylour Dixxon, a woman Sarah recently befriended who now has her first murder case. After Sarah is assaulted in prison while being tried, authorities place her in protective custody. That doesn’t stop her husband’s killer, Roman Danshov, from looking for Sarah—and Taylour might be the way for Roman to find her. Patrick’s novel features a protagonist whose life outside of lawyering is often more intriguing: Taylour’s wayward nephew, Spencer, invites himself to live with her, and the boy’s father doesn’t seem to mind; and other legal cases not relevant to the murder, such as homeowners in a dispute over a new fence and an Internet hookup gone wrong, leave more lasting impressions. Taylour is commendable as the lead, and she’s usually thrown into dramatic situations, as when she quickly earns Spencer’s respect by putting him to work or when she gradually falls for Philip Davidson, the Ranger keeping a close eye on Sarah—a connection that adds tension since Sarah also has feelings for her protector. Roman’s villainy is never in question; he’s determined to stop Sarah (for a reason not wholly revealed until the end), and his resolve leaves bodies in his wake and pages wrought with suspense. But he’s inexplicably omniscient, somehow knowing that Sarah is in protective custody and that, despite the case being over, Taylour is still looking into the murder. Similarly, for a hired gun not wanting to draw attention to himself, Roman is too conspicuous: He pulls his .22 on an annoying cabbie and is continually flashing wads of cash, even for something as simple as a clerk helping him find clothes to buy. Though the murderer’s identity is known from the beginning, Patrick throws in a surprise or two before the story’s over, and aside from a minor character whose fate remains uncertain, everything wraps up nicely.
A bit lightweight as a thriller, but the family drama and an indelible protagonist give the narrative a decent amount of depth. — Kirkus Reviews
When the Tiger Kills
By Vanessa Prelatta
When she was a young girl, Dawn Cimarron lost her entire family in one afternoon of brutal violence. As a result, she has vowed to dedicate her life to tracking down murderers and bringing them to justice. Now a Homicide detective in her hometown of Mountpelier, Colorado, she and her partner, Sergeant Rafe Melbourne, are hard at work trying to close not one, but two major cases.
In the first case, a college student has been found lying at the foot of a cliff, and his girlfriend has disappeared, the apparent victim of a kidnapping plot. And all indications point to one inevitable conclusion: a serial killer is on the loose – a clever and resourceful killer who seems to be equally obsessed with visions of an ancient goddess and young girls with long, pale blonde hair.
The second case involves a young man who has been stabbed to death, his body left under a tree. At first it looks like a simple drug deal gone wrong. However, after encounters with the victim’s angry, bitter stepsister and his self-absorbed, histrionic mother, the two detectives begin to suspect that there is more to this case than meets the eye.
With the help of Dawn’s husband Ty, a former Air Force major now in charge of the local unit of the Civil Air Patrol, Cimarron and Melbourne work to bring a murderer to justice, even as they race against the clock to find the missing girl – before her time runs out.
The Ghosts of Varner Creek
By Michael L. Weems
A well-crafted balance of history and supernatural mystery. -Kirkus Reviews
•A Barnes and Noble Nook Sci Fi/Fantasy Bestseller
•A Kindle #1 Bestseller in Historical Fiction and Horror/Ghosts
•An Amazon Top 100 Rated in Fiction, Top 10 in Mysteries
Kirkus Reviews
At 87, Solomon “Sol” Mayfield is taken on an otherworldly journey to discover what really happened to his family. Sol has been able to see ghosts ever since his mother and sister mysteriously disappeared when he was a child. When he dies in a nursing home in the second chapter of the novel, it’s only the beginning of his story. He’s reunited with his sister, Sarah, who reveals family secrets he was never able to learn while he was alive. The novel flashes back to 1909, when Sol was 12 and Sarah was 13. The day after Sarah’s birthday, Sol wakes up to find that his mother and sister are gone. Many in their small town of Varner Creek, Texas, assume that Sol’s mother, Annie, had finally had enough of his abusive father, Abram; others suspect foul play. Abram blamed Annie for Sarah’s Down syndrome and for trapping him in a small town by becoming pregnant at 14. Sent to live with his Aunt Emma and Uncle Colby, Sol is visited one night by what appears to be Sarah’s ghost. Is his sister dead? If so, who killed her? And what about their mother? Sol sets out to find the answers, some of which are not revealed until decades later. Weems’ story unfurls slowly, at a pace that feels consistent with life in a small Texas town. He has an impressive knack for dialect, and regional accents and idioms help bring the characters into vivid relief. Also, Sol’s self-deprecation and world-weary charm make him an instantly likable narrator. While it’s easy to get pulled into his story, the narrative sags a bit in the middle when the reader is given a thorough history of how Sol’s parents met, which doesn’t feel entirely necessary to the main story. When the final mystery is unveiled, however, the solution is sufficiently unexpected if not completely shocking.
Author note: Not a horror story or thriller. This is a paranormal mystery in the old South. Recommended 18+ for adult themes and content.
The Lady of the Lake
By Karen Musser Nortman
A trip down memory lane is fine if you don’t stumble on a body. Frannie Shoemaker and her friends camp at Old Dam Trail State Park near one of Donna Nowak’s childhood homes. They take in the county fair, reminisce at a Fifties-Sixties dance, and check out old hangouts. But the present intrudes when a body surfaces. Donna becomes the focus of the investigation and Frannie wonders if the police shouldn’t be looking closer at the victim’s many enemies. A traveling goddess worshipper, a mystery writer and the Sisters on the Fly add color to the campground.
I am a sucker for a good lake mystery and The Lady of the Lake does not disappoint, although the lady is less involved in the story than the dangers on solid ground. Once again we visit with Frannie and her friends, content to while away the day under the speckled light through the trees, spending a drowsy day playing dominoes or taking a walk by the lake. Nortman does a fine job evoking the setting and I enjoy reading new things about characters we’ve already met. I’m someone who’s there to experience the journey as well as the end, though I might have liked to learn more of the killer’s background before they were revealed.
Too Quiet In Brooklyn
By Susan Russo Anderson
A Murder, A Kidnapping, & One Woman Who Never Gives Up . . . Abandoned by her father and mourning the sudden loss of her mother, Fina Fitzgibbons ekes out a living by establishing a cleaning service in Brooklyn called Lucy’s. But when she finds a body on a busy sidewalk in the heart of the Heights, she dusts off her PI license and begins searching for the killer, only to discover that the strangled woman’s four-year-old grandson is missing. A desperate hunt begins for the kidnapped child. During the chase, Fina resists falling in love with her boyfriend, Denny, an NYPD patrol officer, steps on the toes of Detective First Grade Jane Templeton, and uncovers secrets about her mother’s death. In the end, the killer has a vicious surprise for Fina.
Author Susan Russo Anderson weaves a sinister plot through the lives of the innocent and not so innocent in this debut mystery series featuring private investigator Fina Fitzgibbons. What begins as a hunt for a strangler-kidnapper develops into a multi-layered plot that has Fina searching for clues to mysterious deaths and to unexplained events in her own past. No stone is left unturned where this courageous PI is concerned!
The characters in Too Quiet in Brooklyn are so vividly described that I felt as if I could see, touch, hear, and smell them. They held my attention in every scene and drove the action forward at a rapid and steady pace. The description of Brooklyn neighborhoods, the New Jersey boardwalk, and the diverse restaurants that Fina frequented give the story a realistic slant. Add Fina’s handsome police boyfriend, a best friend with smarts, opinionated family members, good guys and bad guys, and you have the potential to expand on a thrilling series.
Too Quiet in Brooklyn offers a gripping multifaceted plot that comes together and wraps everything up by the end of the story. If you’re a fan of contemporary whodunits, you’ll want to add this riveting book to your to-read list.
Beneath a Buried House
By Bob Avey
Things aren’t always what they seem. Tulsa Police Detective, Kenny Elliot’s quest to uncover the truth behind the death of a transient makes him a target – from whom or what he isn’t sure. When he brushes the dirt from the surface of an apparent John Doe overdose case, he finds a labyrinth of misdirection and deception beneath, and a trail, which leads him to an encounter with an aberration in human nature, the likes of which he’s not prepared to deal with.
Drawing on his strength of character, and sense of right and wrong, he wrestles with deep personal feelings to solve the case.
Rosabel Tamez reviewed Beneath a Buried House (Detective Elliot Mystery Book 2)
A tale worth reading. August 22, 2015
Suspenseful and with a surprise ending. Murders that went unsolved for years were solved at great risk to the stubborn detective who wouldn’t give up
Journey into the Deep
By Guy Stanton III
“As it was in the days of Noah,
so it will be …” – Matt 24:32
A Bible story …
… a Greek myth …
… and a treasure hunt!
Put it all together, and you have a recipe for fantasy explosion!
Eli Warner has only one objective when he finds the Orlanis Star—to use it as a guide to locate a once sunken ship and enrich himself with its treasures. But the Orlanis Star brings with it far more than he bargains for—an inscription that promises the discovery of the lost city, Atlantis, and the unraveling of its strange and diabolical mysteries. In a moment of decision, Eli and his crew agree that the wisest action is to cast the Star back into the sea where it belongs, and head back home.
But God has other plans for these treasure hunters … to set the captives free!
Follow Eli and his crew on a journey of faith, destiny, and triumph from our modern world into the deep of the Earth.
History, Scripture, Myth, and Technology never looked so good together!
Murder By Association
By Gary Starta
As Boston’s most lethal serial killer jeopardizes the city’s anniversary celebration, CSI Detective Stanford Carter desperately fights for forensic clues to nail the perp. But the “Plunger” after stabbing his victims through the heart, leaves only Tarot cards as evidence. The mayor demanding an arrest is also keeping a secret. Soon, something even more dangerous threatens the city. Carter must find out what it is before it steals his sanity and the life of the woman he loves.
A serial Killer dubbed the ‘plunger’ killer is on the loose. Standford Carter is back along with Caitlin Diggs and her partner Geoffrey McAliistar. This book takes readers into first the speed dating craze and then into politics and forensics as the search for not only the serial killer but a copy cat is looked for. The author does a great job combining police procedure and suspenseful adventure in yet another great work. Reading a Gary Starta book is a pleasure and a heart pounding adventure. No matter which book by this author you choose you will be thoroughly entertained. I suggest you try all he has to offer.
Murder Offstage
By L.B. Hathaway
“This novel is a first class cozy worthy of Agatha Christie.”
** Praise for ‘Murder Offstage’ by Sweet Mystery Books **
Like your mysteries cozy and set during the Golden Age of Crime? This is the first book in the Posie Parker mysteries, although this novel can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story in its own right. Set in London in 1921, ‘Murder Offstage’ is full of intrigue and red herrings. This is a classic murder mystery which will appeal to fans of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey.
When Posie Parker’s childhood friend is robbed of a priceless jewel and becomes a suspect in a cold-blooded murder case, budding detective Posie vows she will clear his name. Aided by her seriously gorgeous assistant Len, Posie soon realizes things are not quite as they seem, and the darkly-glamorous world of London’s theatre and glittering nightclubs prove far more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.
Just who exactly is the dangerous Lucky Lucy Gibson? And who is it she has killed in the lobby of the Ritz Hotel? And more importantly, what on earth has happened to Mr Minks, the much-loved office cat?
If you love an action-packed historical cozy crime with a feisty protagonist, download a sample or buy ‘Murder Offstage’ now.
Bombshell
By Mike Faricy
Bombshell is the FOURTH novel in the humorous and suspenseful Dev Haskell mystery series.
THE JOB: PROTECT A RAGTAG CREW OF GORGEOUS ROLLER DERBY GIRLS FROM A STALKER. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
“Dev is at it again. Put the coffee on, and plan to stay up late, this is a real page turner.” -The Irish Gazette
Dysfunctional, bumbling, crazy babe-magnet Dev Haskell, Private Investigator, has just landed the job of a lifetime. He’ll be the envy of every guy with a heartbeat: Dev is hired to provide security for a team of beautiful English roller derby stars (with stage names like Harlotte Davidson and Helen Killer). Though he’d rather be standing guard in the shower room, he finds himself in a world of trouble when he’s mistaken for the stalker-turned-killer he’s been tracking.
With an attorney who drinks too much and a team of females ready to kill him, Dev must prove his innocence, all the while finding the real killer and protecting himself against the wiles of yet another irresistible and dangerous woman.
Saving Grace
By Pamela Fagan Hutchins
Multi-awardwinning, Bestselling Romantic Mystery Series
Saving Grace kicks the Katie & Annalise series off with voodoo, laughs, and suspense.
Katie Connell is a high-strung attorney whose sloppy drinking habits and stunted love life collide hilariously during a doomed celebrity case in Dallas. She flees Texas for the Caribbean and escapes professional humiliation, a broken heart, and a wicked Bloody Mary habit, but ends up trading one set of problems for another when she begins to investigate the suspicious deaths of her parents on the island of St. Marcos. She’s bewitched by the voodoo spirit of an abandoned house in the rainforest and discovers that she’s as much a danger to herself as the island’s bad guys are.
See why this series won contest after contest.
- 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Romance, Quarter-finalist
- 2011 Winner of the Houston Writers Guild Mainstream Novel Contest
- 2010 Winner of the Writers League of Texas Romance Contest
- 2012 Winner of the Houston Writers Guild Ghost Story Contest
˃˃˃ Once Upon A Romance calls Hutchins an “up-and-coming powerhouse writer.”
If you like Sandra Brown or Janet Evanovich, you will love Pamela Fagan Hutchins. A former attorney and native Texan, Pamela lived in the U.S. Virgin Islands for nearly ten years. She refuses to admit to taking notes for this series during that time.
˃˃˃ The reviews are in, and they’re good. Very, very good.
“A lively romantic mystery that will likely leave readers eagerly awaiting a sequel.” Kirkus Reviews
“A riveting drama with plenty of twists and turns for an exciting read, highly recommended.” Small Press Bookwatch
“An exciting tale that combines twisting investigative and legal subplots with a character seeking redemption. An exhilarating mystery with a touch of voodoo.” Midwest Book Review MBR Bookwatch
Lana’i of the Tiger
By JoAnn Bassett
In mid-November, Maui wedding planner Pali Moon is hustled into witness protection after sticking her nose in a hush-hush federal sting operation aimed at taking down a vicious drug lord. She’s sent to the private island of Lana’i, Hawaii, to hang out while the feds finish up. After a month she’s bored, homesick and WITSEC’s worst nightmare until she lands a job tending a cozy B & B in Lana’i City. Movie mogul Tyler Benson checks in and he decides on a whim to marry his long-time girlfriend on Lana’i—far from the stalking paparazzi. But before long, the bushes are rustling with reporters and photogs hoping to get a scoop on the wedding or a candid photo of the reclusive celeb. Then a body is found in Tyler’s fiancée’s suite and the tabloids shout, amen! Who needs a ho-hum wedding when you can have a star-studded murder?
“Living on the dole isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and neither is living on the lam.”
Unforeseen
By Nick Pirog
A revised Tenth Anniversary Edition of the one that started it all…
Retired homicide detective Thomas Prescott is reluctant to read the best selling book Eight in October, a true-crime thriller based on a string of murders occurring throughout October of the past year. After all, it was his case, and he doesn’t need to be reminded of the gruesome details. The book dubbed the serial killer, Tristen Grayer, The MAINEiac. Grayer is allegedly dead, but only Prescott knows the truth, Grayer is alive and lurking in the shadows. On October 1st, the anniversary of the first murder, Tristen resurfaces, killing someone special from Prescott’s past. With the help of former flame, medical examiner Dr. Caitlin Dodds, and Eight in October author, Alex Tooms, Prescott must race against the clock to stop Tristen from completing his encore…
From Readers:
WHERE IS THE 10-STAR OPTION?
By free2ride
I really enjoyed this book right from the beginning. My first by this author- certainly not my last though. I loved the humor. One would think a book about serial murders would not be funny but the humor was done appropriately and added so much to the characters and the story line. About 85% through the book I started saying thing like “oh no!”, “oh my God!”, “no way!” and “this can’t be happening!”. By then the book was not getting put down for any reason! The ending was deliously mysterious, surprising & so fitting! I need more Thomas Prescott!
I have just discovered Nick Pirog in the past year and he can’t write fast enough for me. I love his books!!! Rarely can I read a book and laugh out loud the way I do with his books. I would highly recommend him.
A GREAT THRILLER!
By Connie Pribbeno
I read alot of Thriller books. I like authors like: Harlan Coben, Stuart Woods, Jeffery Deaver, Richard North Patterson. If you like these authors, you will love this author!!!
A NEW DETECTIVE
By C. Orelli
Lots of kudos to Nick Pirog for giving us a facinating new detective. Thomas Prescott, a wise-cracking ex-policeman fired from the Seattle police department, takes jobs as a consultant to the FBI in Philly. His current project is identifying and neutralizing a serial killer with a perchant for murdering the women in Thomas’ life. Trying to follow the clues while also protecting the lives of his blind sister, his mournful ex-girlfriend and his sexy current girlfriend as well as the female students in the law-enforcement class he teaches, makes for a real roller-coaster ride for Thomas and the reader. Always one step behind the wily killer and his ax, Thomas must put a period to this psycho before he loses more women he cares about. A tense read, sprinkled with Thomas’s witticisms and hair raising close calls.
FUNNY, THRILLING, AND A GREAT NEW DETECTIVE!
By Tif Saucier
Unforeseen’s main character, Thomas Prescott, by Nick Pirog, had me laughing out loud and speed reading to the end. I read this book in a day, couldn’t put it down. I read a lot of mystery thrillers and Pirog’s unique style was refreshing. I found it to be funny, quirky, bawdy and yet he still pulled off the theme park thrill ride feeling of a great thriller and a well laid out mystery that left me guessing right up until the end. I look forward to reading more of his work and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading something out of the usual cookie cutter type style that so many authors seem to have fallen into. Pirog captured my attention from the first page and never lost it. An unusual and perfect mixture of witty humor to balance a gruesome murder mystery. I found myself laughing out loud many times throughout the book. I love this writer’s style. I’m now reading the second Thomas Prescott novel, and hoping there will be a third soon! LOVE this book!
Divide and Rule
By Solomon Carter
From the darkness into a new era of terror and suspense…
On the eve of a crucial election slick right-wing politician Will Burton hires Eva Roberts and Dan Bradley to track down attackers who beat his son into a coma at his family home. The right wing UKFirst party are ready to claim their first ever slice of real power, but as Eva and Dan get closer to the attacker the forces around Will Burton appear increasingly sinister. By helping save Burton’s son Eva and Dan may be helping a far right political party to achieve its monstrous dream. Can they live with the consequences? Will arch-manipulator Peter Serge play his deadly hand? As their home town erupts in a fire-storm of violence, tension and protest, Dan and Eva have to do what is right in a mystery thriller where their own clients have never seemed so wrong.
Divide and Rule is an adventure which brings Dan to the edge of his sanity… has Eva finally had enough of Dan’s uncontrollable ways? Or will she need him now more than ever as blood flows on the streets? Tension rises as the darkness closes on Dan for maybe the last time in his life…
For some the scent of victory is in the air. For others failure and madness looms in the night. Death and danger seep in from every corner in this fight to the finish, action-packed novel.
Long Time Dying is a thriller series to set pulses racing…
A Dead Red Oleander
By R.P. Dahlke
Nominated for a Global Award in Mystery
“Janet Evanovich meets aero-ag pilots.” Emily Anderson for The Kindle Book Review
When a late in the season emergency forces Lalla Bains to accept a greenhorn pilot for her dad’s aero ag business, she sighs in relief . After all, he comes highly recommended, his physical is spotless, and with a name like Dewey Treat, what could possibly go wrong?
Then her quirky relatives arrive from Texas and things go south in a hurry: Dewey Treat drops dead, his tearful widow clobbers Sheriff Caleb Stone with his own gun, and makes a run for it. Lalla, convinced the widow is innocent, sets out to prove it, only to realize her dead pilot lied about everything, including a vicious Las Vegas hitman intent on wiping out all the witnesses to his crime.
Feds, local law, suspicious ag-pilots, nutso relatives, and her daddy’s new sidekick, Bruce the goat, make life a living hell for Lalla. Will her nosey nature solve the crime and save the day? Or put them all in mortal danger?
Let Us Prey
By Jamie Lee Scott
Former Secret Service agent, turned private detective, Mimi Capurro, never expects to run into her old college flame Nick Christianson, when she takes on an executive protection (bodyguard) case for a New York Times bestselling author. But when the author’s assistant is murdered, the homicide case, along with Mimi, land in Nick’s lap.
Determined to make up for puking all over Nick’s crime scene, and to help her client, Mimi wants to solve the murder before Nick does. Never fear, her willing and witty sidekick, Charles Parks, is along for the ride.
Will Mimi and Nick be able to solve this murder without killing each other first?
If you like your murder mysteries with a bit of romance, a dash of snark, and a few dead bodies, USA Today bestselling Gotcha Detective Agency Mysteries are the crime novels for you!
“Let Us Prey is up on my list of favorite novels ever. It’s something I know I can pick up and read over and over without getting bored.” Bookend Babes reviewer, Stacy J
“This is a light and funny PI novel/mystery with interesting, well-developed characters and excellent twists and turns.” Bente Gallagher (Jennie Bentley) NYT Bestselling author of the DIY Mystery Series for Berkley.
From USA Today bestselling author Jamie Lee Scott – Gotcha Detective Agency Mystery Series, Book 1. (2nd Edition (updated and re-edited)).
Uncharted Territory
By Carolyn Ridder Aspenson
A Five-Star Rated Mystery!
Grab a latté, a box of Kleenex and a clean pair of panties. Carolyn Ridder Aspenson has done it again.–Lynn/Two Girls & a Book
Suburban housewife Angela Panther didn’t want to communicate with the dead, but the universe had other plans…
When an unidentified fourteen-year-old boy takes a dive off an interstate overpass, to solve the case, Atlanta area detective Aaron Banner calls on some unlikely help–from psychic medium Angela Panther. Banner knows she’s legit, and knows she’ll get to the truth about his junior John Doe–was the boy’s death suicide, or murder? The problem is, the spirit can’t remember who he was or the night he died, and to make matters worse, he doesn’t care. Instead, he convinces Angela to focus on another spirit, one different from Angela’s usual, garden-variety ghost.
To complicate matters, Angela’s best friend Mel, newly single and on the prowl, has her sights set on the sexy Detective Banner, and Angela’s mother drives her even more crazy dead than alive.
To solve the dead duo’s dilemmas, armed with little more than their double lattés and a tiny pink bottle of wannabe pepper spray, Angela and her sex-starved sidekick Mel must venture into the dark underbelly of Atlanta and come face-to-face with a gang of saggy-pantsed hoodlums ready to take them out. Will they make it out alive, or end up pushing up daisies alongside the spirits they’re trying to help?
In UNCHARTED TERRITORY, AN ANGELA PANTHER MYSTERY, Carolyn Ridder Aspenson’s witty dialog between psychic medium Angela Panther and her best friend, Mel will keep you laughing out loud, while the tear-jerking scenes between the living and dead will leave you hoping the connection with those we love is never lost.
The Celtic Dagger
By Jill Peterson
University professor Alex Wearing is found murdered in his study by the Post Graduate Co-coordinator, Vera Trenbath, a nosey interfering busybody. Assigned to the case is Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn. Fitzjohn is a detective from the old guard, whose methodical, painstaking methods are viewed by some as archaic. His relentless pursuit for the killer zeros in on Alex’s brother, James, as a key suspect in his investigation.
Compelled to clear himself of suspicion, James starts his own investigation and finds himself immersed in a web of intrigue, ultimately uncovering long hidden secrets about his brother’s life that could easily be the very reasons he was murdered.
This gripping tale of murder and suspense winds its way through the university’s hallowed halls to emerge into the beautiful, yet unpredictable, Blue Mountain region where more challenges and obstacles await James in his quest to clear himself of suspicion and uncover the truth about his brother.
Dear Prospective Reader,
Please note that The Celtic Dagger was written as a stand-alone story. It was not until after the book was published that I decided to write a series featuring Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Fitzjohn. Consequently, Fitzjohn does not play a leading role in The Celtic Dagger.
Louisiana Bigshot
By Julie Smith
“Smith has perfect pitch. It’s great to hear her again … Smith gives us a multilayered mystery and a quirky, believable heroine.” —Booklist
“Wallis is fine fun to get to know… a consistently interesting and likable woman of depth and complexity.” —The Washington Post
“Join Edgar winner Julie Smith for a climax as harrowing as it is cunning.” —The Clarion Ledger, Jackson, MS
“Talba Wallis has to be one of the most distinctive female detectives in the business. Her personality and her poetry are riveting reasons to read this book.” —The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
“Smith’s new series is a whole other kettle of crayfish: wilder and funnier.” —Chicago Tribune
Louisiana Bigshot is the SECOND book in the Talba Wallis mystery series by Edgar Award-winning author Julie Smith
A POET, A BARONESS, A COMPUTER GENIUS, PLUS TWO DETECTIVES…AND THEY’RE ONLY TWO PEOPLE…
Meet the hottest detective duo in New Orleans–she’s Queen Latifah. He’s Danny DeVito. Or they would be if this were a movie–in print, they’re Talba Wallis and Eddie Valentino. Talba’s got the beauty, the brains, the computer savvy, the poetic soul,the youth, the right demographic, and the sass. Eddie’s got the detective agency. Also a short fuse and yes, wisdom. Not only do they make it work, they’ve got chemistry.
And they need every skill and ounce of courage they can summon in this intricate tale of a decades-old conspiracy only now coming home to roost, with the murder of Talba’s friend Babalu Maya. Babalu is actually Clayton Robineau, daughter of the local banker in a small Louisiana town that bears her name, a town buried under the weight of its own malevolent past.
Something terrible happened to Clayton as a child, but it was far from the usual “something terrible”. As Talba and Eddie investigate, they find it was an injury—both pscyhic and physical–so bizarre, so shameful and damning that almost anyone in town would kill to cover it up. Or so it seems to the New Orleans duo as they dodge bullets and what passes for the law in this malignant enclave, fetid with the rot of its corruption, yet determined to keep its sordid skeletons buried.
Never did Faulkner’s words ring so true as in Clayton, Louisiana: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
*Publisher;s note: Talba’s a spinoff from the beloved Skip Langdon series–by night she’s the performnce-poet, the Baroness de Pontalba, by day a computer genius (and hacker) as well as a detective. The story’s based on a real event.
“The quirky pleasure of watching the Baroness strut her stuff is worth the price of admission.” —Houston Chronicle
“Louisiana Bigshot is a character-driven tale with plenty of action, suspense, and steamy southern atmosphere… It’s an exhilarating romp that will have you cheering for Talba.” —The Mystery Review
Justice Overdue
By Rayven T. Hill
Private investigators Jake and Annie Lincoln make plans to take a break away from their hectic schedule and relax. The family’s goal of a peaceful weekend spirals into chaos when an escaped convict creates havoc and threatens the lives of everyone around him.
The trail of destruction leads from a sleepy town to the untamed northern wilderness, where the Lincolns’ own lives are endangered by the most unpredictable creature of all, the ruthless and inhumane Varick Lucas.I have read all of the “Justice ” books by Rayven Hill. The books (all of them) definitely pass the first chapter test (even the 1st page test) of getting you involved in the story to the point that you are late for dinner until you finish the chapter or you are reading just one more chapter before retiring. The characters in the book are very believable and the author has a knack for developing the plot and coming up with a few surprises. A good read, I just purchased “Justice Returns”.
I have read all of the “Justice ” books by Rayven Hill. The books (all of them) definitely pass the first chapter test (even the 1st page test) of getting you involved in the story to the point that you are late for dinner until you finish the chapter or you are reading just one more chapter before retiring. The characters in the book are very believable and the author has a knack for developing the plot and coming up with a few surprises. A good read, I just purchased “Justice Returns”.
Kettled
By Ian Pattinson
The Tories are in Manchester, and thousands have turned out to protest their presence.
In the midst of the peaceful protest, a small group of hired troublemakers are planning to cause trouble. They want to start a riot, to distract from the demo’s message, and usher in new laws.
Irwin has been working with an MI5 agent to track them down before they can do any damage. But now, she has been stabbed, and he is trapped in a big crowd being held on a square by Police. Just the right place to start a fight.
With the reluctant help of Kay Wood, Irwin must track down the troublemakers before it’s too late, and find out who stabbed the MI5 agent.
Out of the Past: A Reed Ferguson Mystery
By Renee Pawlish
New to the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series? Try the first two books for FREE. Click here to find out more: tiny.cc/8oz71x (just copy and paste into your browser)
“This is another Must Read author and series.” – Amazon review
A top-seller on Amazon’s Private Investigator, Crime and Mystery Series lists!
From the author of Readers’ Favorite Finalist in mystery, THIS DOESN’T HAPPEN IN THE MOVIES, starring private detective Reed Ferguson…
Out of the Past
Compelled by a dark secret from his past, private investigator Reed Ferguson takes on his most unique case yet: bodyguard for young, spoiled trust-fund baby Stephanie McMahon. As Reed tries to protect her from her father’s enemies, he gets more than he bargained for. Things are not what they seem, no one can be trusted, and the past has a way of coming back to haunt us. And when suspicious deaths begin piling up, Reed knows he might be next. With a twisting plot and film noir fun that readers have come to expect, Out of the Past is Reed Ferguson at his best.
Readers’ Favorite 5 Star Review!
This was my first Renée Pawlish book, but I doubt it will be my last. Out of the Past and Reed Ferguson are both good fun, and the tale develops into a thrilling mystery. The characters are believable – if not all exactly likable – and the writing and dialogue are both sharp…I’d definitely recommend this book, and I plan to start reading the series from the beginning.
Uncommon Stock: Version 1.0
By Eliot Peper
Book 1 of The Uncommon Series, the tech startup thriller trilogy. Continued in Book 2, Uncommon Stock: Power Play.
Mara Winkel is rock climbing, mountain biking, and ‘studying’ her way through school at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
But when her best friend James asks her to partner with him to start a disruptive new software company she discovers that the world of technology startups is fraught with intrigue, adrenaline, soaring successes, and scorching failures. It turns out this is especially true when your technology threatens entrenched drug cartels.
Mara has to juggle mysterious investors, opaque partners, critical customers, and a team that is as brilliant as it is dysfunctional until only one question remains: win or die.
“Insanely cool… a gripping roller coaster ride through the world of tech entrepreneurship. Tears you out of your seat and into a brand new genre, the startup thriller. Watch out, it will hijack your free time through to the last word. More, please?”
–Brad Feld, Managing Director at Foundry Group, founder at Techstars
“What Lara Croft was to archeologists; what James Bond was to spies; Mara Winkel is to startup founders. If you are a entrepreneur, investor, or fan of Shark Tank, this novel is for you.”
–Dr. Sean Wise, Professor of Entrepreneurship at Ryerson University, Director at Dobson Micro-Financing Seed Venture Fund
“Riveting and informative… an intriguing thriller to the very end. Does an excellent job capturing the personal and professional highs and lows of creating a startup. Great read all around. I can’t wait for Version 2.0… write faster!”
–Jon Belmonte, Principal at Cedar Ridge Ventures, former CEO/COO at ACTIVE Network
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