A snowbound country mansion, a missing butler, and a Christmas case . . .

Olive and Jasper have never been closer-except in one area. Jasper is still reticent about his frequent disappearances from polite society. With the holidays approaching and no paying client on the books, Olive decides to shadow Jasper when he's unexpectedly called away. Her search brings her to Holly Hill Lodge where an eclectic group has gathered to celebrate an old-fashioned English Christmas.

The guest list includes a celebrated lawn tennis champion, a fussy scientist studying snowflakes, a persuasive luggage salesman, a famous lady explorer, and the family's eccentric aunt who has a fondness for the newfangled drinks called cocktails.

When the butler goes missing, Olive and Jasper must work together to solve the Christmas crime-as well as the secret Jasper hides. Murder on a Midnight Clear is the latest installment in USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett's popular High Society Lady Detective series.

Unwrap this 1920s Christmas mystery with all the trimmings-carols, a Yule log, plum pudding . . . and murder.

About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits. She loves reading Golden Age mysteries, watching Jane Austen adaptions, and travel. She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series: the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, and is the author of How to Write a Series. Publishers Weekly called Sara's books enchanting, well-executed, and sparkling. Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.

"One is immersed in this epic story immediately and effortlessly... The main characters are so well-drawn that you feel you have heard about them in your own life." - The Evening Herald

A death in the present-a killing in the past.

After twenty years away, Jo Devereux flies home to Ireland for her mother's funeral -- the mother she hasn't spoken to for more than two decades.

Every minute there reminds her of all the reasons she left and she has no desire to reacquaint herself with her home village. Or with Rory O'Donovan, the only man she ever loved, who still lives there.

Then, she reads her mother's will.

Her inheritance is a chest full of letters and journals, written by her grandmother and great-aunt. In them, Jo discovers a legacy of poison and hatred that has laid waste to the lives of four generations of women.

It began with a simple yearning for Irish Freedom that exploded into a horrific and bloody civil war. Neighbor turned against neighbor, brother against brother, daughters against fathers, family against family-- leaving a legacy of lies, deceit, and murder.

As Jo unearths the bitter, buried history she shares with Rory, it is clear their love was doomed from the start.

Can she stay true to both her heart and her heritage? Or will she endure the same fate as all the women in her family?

Read Orna Ross's sweeping saga of love, loss, and redemption, today.

About the Author
Ross, Orna: - One of the 100 most influential people in publishing. The Bookseller ORNA ROSS is an award-winning Irish novelist and poet--and an international advocate for independent authors. She writes and publishes a wide range of books: inspirational poetry, literary-historical fiction, and publishing guides. A vegan, mindful runner, daily meditator and f-r-e-e-writer, Orna lives and works in London. When not writing, she runs the global non-profit Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi (ally with an i) with Philip, her husband and co-director.

“A Horse Brought Us Here is a book in a class all its own. Readers who enjoy historical fiction or period piece fiction will enjoy this superb novel about a tragedy that shakes a small town and changes the lives of those in it forever.” —Seattle Book Review

“Author Dershie McDevitt beautifully captures the essence and spirit of small town America in the 1950s in this well-written novel that builds tension steadily.” —Readers’ Favorite

Excitement grows all day Friday in the quiet Wyoming cattle town of Juniper as cheerleaders and football players ready themselves for the biggest football game of the year. When the Homecoming Parade finally wends its way down Main Street, everyone strains to see who's been chosen Homecoming Queen. They clap delightedly when they spot BJ Bonniface in her pink strapless formal sitting high on the back of the big Buick convertible, though no one is surprised. She's the popular steady girlfriend of star quarterback, Rob Hitchcock. Life continues to unwind as life is expected to on such iconic weekends. The home team even wins the game. But on Monday morning, Juniper High is shaken to its foundations when the announcement is made that the Homecoming Queen is dead.

“Act as if nothing has changed,” advises the Dean of Women. “Carry on as normal for the good of the school.” But there are those in the student body who doubt that BJ died from a bee sting. How are they to carry on? Her best friend, Nella Fortune, and her boyfriend, Rob, have private and personal reasons to question the story, but there is no one to go to and nothing to be done. Both will sleepwalk through the rest of their senior years, consumed with what they know and what they cannot tell. But the clock is ticking. How long can such a secret be kept?

In A Horse Brought Us Here, Dershie masterfully weaves the tapestry of small-town fiction into a tense, disturbing story. She invites readers to travel back to a time when life looked simple but often was not. With every turn of the page, she evokes our nostalgia for a time in the West when some of life's mysteries may have been best kept buried.

Author Bio:

Dershie McDevitt, a lifelong writer, holds an MLA from UNC, Asheville where she won The Wilma Dykeman Award for excellence in nonfiction writing. Her popular Callahan Banks Mystery Series (including Just Holler Bloody Murder and Perils of a Pregnant Sleuth) follows nature lover, biology professor and crime solver Callahan Banks through suspenseful southern whodunits on a South Carolina barrier island. Dershie and her husband, Larry, live outside of Asheville, North Carolina. They have three adult children, four perfect grandchildren and share their mountain valley home with rescue pooch, Sassafras, and a particularly bossy cat named Orphan Annie.

A NEW BEGINNING THREATENS TO END IN DISASTER

The Kansas plains offer Nell a chance to support her small family and bring Sarah up away from the prying eyes that might discover her illegitimate birth. But when her only ally among the seminary's leaders dies, Nell finds herself at the mercy of people she doesn't entirely trust-and she's not in a position to escape.

As her talent as a dressmaker improves her fortunes, Nell attracts the attention of two suitors and struggles with the problem of reconciling love, independence, and respectability for her daughter's sake. Shocking news from back home and another death at the seminary force a decision.

A disastrous winter journey, a treacherous game, and an impossible love could wrest control of Nell's life out of her hands for good.

About the Author
Steen, Jane: - Jane Steen grew up in England but lived in Belgium and the United States as an adult, before returning to the UK in 2016. Her corporate writing career included translation, editorial guidance for lawyers, contract drafting, writing fundraising appeals, marketing for realtors, and freelancing as a communications consultant. Jane is an independent writer of historical fiction, concentrating on the Victorian mystery sub-genre. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Historical Novel Society, Novelists, Inc., and the Society of Authors.

Does love conquer all? Nell's not so sure.

Adjusting to wedlock isn't easy for a woman whose initial aversion to the married state took her to the Poor Farm. When a tragedy out of the blue prompts her to repay past debts, her charitable instincts threaten to wreck her happy new life. What does she really want-and what does she really need?

Attraction to an old friend shakes Tess's world. Can she change his indifference to love?

Martin struggles with demons from his own past as he oversees the rebuilding of the store and the creation of a new home. Will his ambitions hurt those he loves the most?

Young Sarah faces the antagonist who knows the secret that might ruin her future.

Join the beloved characters from the House of Closed Doors series as we bridge the years between Nell's story and Sarah's, interweaving stories of love and despair, darkness and light in the turbulent Chicago of the late 1870s.

About the Author
Steen, Jane: - Jane Steen grew up in England but lived in Belgium and the United States as an adult, before returning to the UK in 2016. Her corporate writing career included translation, editorial guidance for lawyers, contract drafting, writing fundraising appeals, marketing for realtors, and freelancing as a communications consultant. Jane is an independent writer of historical fiction, concentrating on the Victorian mystery sub-genre. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Historical Novel Society, Novelists, Inc., and the Society of Authors.

CONFLICTING DESIRES AND A DANGEROUS CITY

Chicago, 1876: Martin was doubtless joking when he told Nell that if she got herself mixed up with a murderer for the third time, he'd disown her. But

when Martin himself is arrested for murder, Nell's dreams of a new life appear to be swallowed up in the web of secrets she constructs to help him.

Secrets that threaten to alienate everyone Nell holds dear.

As Nell steps out into a new world of possibilities, she is assailed by the conflicting desires of loved ones who have had their own lives upended. Can she find her role in Chicago's commercial kingdom-and stay out of danger?

About the Author
Steen, Jane: - Jane Steen grew up in England but lived in Belgium and the United States as an adult, before returning to the UK in 2016. Her corporate writing career included translation, editorial guidance for lawyers, contract drafting, writing fundraising appeals, marketing for realtors, and freelancing as a communications consultant. Jane is an independent writer of historical fiction, concentrating on the Victorian mystery sub-genre. She is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, the Historical Novel Society, Novelists, Inc., and the Society of Authors.

HEEDLESS. STUBBORN. DISGRACED.

Small town Illinois, 1870: Desperate to avoid marriage, Nell Lillington refuses to divulge the name of her child's father and accepts her stepfather's decision that the baby be born at a Poor Farm and discreetly adopted.

Until an unused padded cell is opened and two small bodies fall out.

Nell is the only resident of the Poor Farm who is convinced the unwed mother and her baby were murdered, and rethinks her decision to abandon her own child to fate. But even if she manages to escape the Poor Farm with her baby, she may have no safe place to hide.

Set in the early 1900s, Among the Beautiful Beasts is the untold story of the early life of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, known in her later years as a tireless activist for the Florida Everglades. After a childhood spent in New England estranged from her father and bewildered by her mother, who fades into madness, Marjory marries a swindler thirty years her senior. The marriage nearly destroys her, but Marjory finds the courage to move to Miami, where she is reunited with her father and begins a new life as a journalist in that bustling, booming frontier town. Buoyed by a growing sense of independence and an affair with a rival journalist, Marjory embraces a life lived at the intersection of the untamed Everglades and the rapacious urban development that threatens it. When the demands of a man once again begin to swallow Marjory's own desires and dreams, she sees herself in the vulnerable, inimitable Everglades and is forced to decide whether to commit to a life of subjugation or leap into the wild unknown. Told in chapters that alternate between an urgent midnight chase through the wetlands and extensive narrative flashbacks, Among the Beautiful Beasts is at once suspenseful and deeply reflective.

Author Bio:
Lori McMullen grew up in unincorporated Dade County, outside of Miami, and now lives with her family in Chicago. She is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School, and her short fiction has appeared in the Tampa Review and Slush Pile magazine. Among the Beautiful Beasts is her first novel.

 

 Independently published with She Writes Press

On 2 BuzzFeed Hot Lists
"New Book Releases We Loved And Why You Should Read Them"
"New Historical Fiction You Won't Be Able To Put Down This Fall"

 

The story of one woman's quest to carve out a life for herself in the liberal and bewildering society that emerged during the California gold rush frenzy.

 

Elisabeth Parker comes to California from Massachusetts in 1849 with her new husband, Nate, to reunite with her father, who's struck gold on the American River. But she soon realizes her husband is not the man she thought--and neither is her father, who abandons them shortly after they arrive. As Nate struggles with his sexuality, Elisabeth is forced to confront her preconceived notions of family, love, and opportunity. She finds comfort in corresponding with her childhood friend back home, writer Louisa May Alcott, and spending time in the company of a mysterious California. Armed with Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance, she sets out to determine her role in building the West, even as she comes to terms with the sacrifices she must make to achieve independence and happiness. A gripping and illuminating window into life in the Old West, Prospects of a Woman is the story of one woman's passionate quest to carve out a place for herself in the liberal and bewildering society that emerged during the California gold rush frenzy.

Author Bio:
Born and raised on the American River in Sacramento, Wendy Voorsanger has long held an intense interest in the historical women of California. She started her career in the Silicon Valley, writing about technology trends and innovations for newspapers, magazines, and Fortune 100 companies. She currently manages SheIsCalifornia.net, a blog dedicated to chronicling the accomplishments of California women through history. She earned a BA in journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and has attended Hedgebrook, the Squaw Valley Writers Workshop, and Lit Camp. She is a member of the Castro Writers' Cooperative, the Lit Camp Advisory Board, and the San Mateo Public Library Literary Society. She has also worked as a lifeguard, ski instructor, and radio disc jockey. Wendy lives in Northern California with her husband and two boys. 

 

Independently published with She Writes Press

Wrested back to Cabarita Beach by her grandmother's sudden death, Kate Summer discovers a mystery buried in the past that changes everything.

Kate returns home to the sleepy hamlet of Cabarita Beach and the run-down Waratah Inn for her grandmother's funeral. She spent many happy childhood years at the inn, but all she wants to do now is sell the dilapidated boutique inn and head back to the city and her busy, professional life. But she and her two estranged sisters discover they've inherited the inn together. To sell, they need all three sisters to agree to the sale.

Soon, her carefully constructed life begins to unravel and Kate decides to stay in Cabarita Beach to renovate the elegant, old building. Despite her misgivings about reviving the crumbling structure, she quickly becomes consumed with crown moulding, history and an attractive horse wrangler she can't seem to ignore.

When she discovers a clue to a mystery from the past in her grandmother's things, she'll be drawn down a path that raises more questions than answers. Piece-by-piece she and her sisters will uncover the secret former life of their beloved grandmother. A life of love, intrigue, and loss. A life they never knew she had.

An opportunity to sell the Inn pushes them to make a choice: commit to the Waratah Inn and family, or walk away from the Inn and each other, back to their separate and isolated lives.

*** Now a USA Today bestseller ***

Set against the backdrop of the golden sands and crystal clear waters of Cabarita Beach three sisters inherit an inn and discover a mystery about their grandmother's past that changes everything they thought they knew of their family...

Bindi Summer, the hard-working manager at The Waratah Inn is tired, feeling low, and wondering where her life is headed. Then, she is blind-sided by a shock revelation and the sudden arrival of her ex-boyfriend, who shows up at the inn, questioning his decision to leave her almost two years earlier.

When Josh Owens, an old high school crush, shows up out of the blue, all Bindi wants is to hunker down and ride out the storm, but Josh won't be put off so easily.

In the midst of her chaotic life, it's Bindi's turn to read the journals Nan wrote years earlier, discovered by her sister Kate in an old wooden box. The mystery of what happened to Charlie Jackson continues to unravel as his letters to Edie follow his journey from a teenager in love, to a pilot for the RAAF and beyond.

In this dramatic conclusion to the heartwarming saga, the three Summer sisters will finally learn the truth they've longed to uncover about their past, and why Nan kept so many secrets from them all these years.

A heartwarming journey from brokenness to wholeness for fans of Carolyn Brown, Lauren K. Denton, Rhys Bowen and Danielle Steele.

Reeda Summer is running from a troubled marriage and a truth she can't face.

When the Summer sisters discover their grandmother's journals after her death, they unlock a mystery that shakes their family to the core. Who is Charlie Jackson? Is he their grandfather? And if so, what happened to him?

Reeda leaves the Waratah Inn and returns to Sydney, her husband, and her thriving interior design business, only to find her marriage in tatters. She's lost sight of what she wants in life and can't recognise the person she's become.

Instead of facing her problems, Reeda embarks on a journey to discover more about the grandfather she never knew, leaving her troubles behind her.

Her search takes her to Italy, where a trail of clues leads her across the country with few answers to satisfy her burning curiosity about the past. And instead of helping her to forget, her pilgrimage reminds her of everything she loves and what she's left behind.

Under the Italian sky, Reeda discovers that the joy she was searching for was hidden inside her all along. And instead of running from her problems, she embraces the healing she needs to face them.

Readers who enjoy Inglath Cooper, Rhys Bowen, Lisa Wingate, Debbie Macomber, and Lauren K. Denton will love taking this healing journey through delightful Italy.

Two generations from one family face heartbreak and injustice in this poignant and emotional novel inspired by true events.

Married to her dream man, and with a baby on the way, Dr Mia Sato's life is in perfect order.

When her beloved grandmother has a fall, the photograph clutched in her hand prompts Mia to ask questions her grandmother isn't willing to answer. Then she cries out a confession that rocks Mia to her core and leads her to make a shocking discovery of a past filled with lies, broken families and forced child migration.

Mary Roberts is a poor gutter child living in a council house in 1950's London. When she and her sister are given away to an orphanage by their mother, they could hardly imagine the turn their lives were about to take.

Harry Evans is an orphan who finds himself with Mary and her sister on a ship bound for Australia. To a farm for children, where abuse and neglect are rife. A journey that will change their lives forever, and from which they'll never return.

Based on one of Britain most secret and shameful real-life scandals in which over 100,000 British children were forcibly deported to Canada, South Africa, and Australia over several decades. Lilly Mirren's heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us that no matter where the journey leads us, our heart will always find its way home to those we love.

For readers of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdad Sings.

Author Bio:

Lilly Mirren is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her husband and three children.

She always dreamed of being a writer​ and is now living that dream. When she's not writing, she's taxiing her children to various after school activities, visiting her parents at the beach, or drinking coffee with friends.

Her books combine heartwarming storylines with achingly realistic characters readers can't get enough of.

Murder's a piece of cake!

Wedding bells are ringing in Belgravia, and Ginger couldn't be happier to attend the nuptials of Felicia Gold and Lord Davenport-Witt. If only she could put her mind at ease about the things she knew about the groom's past.

When a death occurs at the wedding party, Ginger is placed in a frightfully difficult position. Betray her vow of secrecy to the crown, or let a killer go free.

About the Author
Strauss, Lee: - Lee Strauss is a USA TODAY bestselling author of The Ginger Gold Mysteries series, The Higgins & Hawke Mystery series, The Rosa Reed Mystery series (cozy historical mysteries), A Nursery Rhyme Mystery series (mystery suspense), The Perception series (young adult dystopian), The Light & Love series (sweet romance), The Clockwise Collection (YA time travel romance), and young adult historical fiction with over a million books read. She has titles published in German, Spanish and Korean, and a growing audio library.

Murder's a fashion faux pas. . .

The summer of 1926 brings high fashion to Hyde Park. Ginger's Regent Street dress shop, Feathers & Flair, is a major sponsor, and when top designer Coco Chanel makes an appearance, the London fashion scene lights up.

Until a model drops dead and Miss Chanel is suspected of murder. The fashion icon hires Lady Gold Investigations to clear her name, but can Ginger discover the murderer before becoming a lifeless mannequin herself?

About the Author
Strauss, Lee: - Lee Strauss is a USA TODAY bestselling author of The Ginger Gold Mysteries series, The Higgins & Hawke Mystery series, The Rosa Reed Mystery series (cozy historical mysteries), A Nursery Rhyme Mystery series (mystery suspense), The Perception series (young adult dystopian), The Light & Love series (sweet romance), The Clockwise Collection (YA time travel romance), and young adult historical fiction with over a million books read. She has titles published in German, Spanish and Korean, and a growing audio library.

Murder's a Beach

A family holiday turns deadly at Brighton Beach. When Ginger and Basil and their family check into the Brighton Beach Boutique Hotel on a lovely warm day in June of 1926, a shocking discovery upsets their plans to relax in the sun and surf. There's a murderer amongst the holidayers: Is it the starlet? The earl? The disgruntled businessman?

In this Agatha Christie-style addition to the Ginger Gold Mystery series, not only will Ginger not finish her book, she and Basil might not get out of the hotel alive.

★★★★★

Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

Genre: dog cozy mystery series / historical mystery / women amateur sleuth / British detective mystery

About the Author
Strauss, Lee: - Lee Strauss is the bestselling author of The Ginger Gold Mysteries series, The Higgins & Hawke Mystery series (cozy historical mysteries), A Nursery Rhyme Mystery series (mystery suspense), The Perception series (young adult dystopian), The Light & Love series (sweet romance), and young adult historical fiction with over a million books read. She has titles published in German, Spanish and Korean, and a growing audio library.

Murder's a Deadly Secret

Mrs. Ginger Reed--the former Lady Gold--thought her past was dead and buried, but when the mysterious death of a British secret service agent threatens to expose her own Great War secrets, she's faced with an unimaginable dilemma: break her legal vow to the Official Secrets Act or join the agency again, something she's loathe to do.

Because once they own your soul, there's no getting it back.

Clean read: no graphic violence, sex, or strong language.

Genre: dog cozy mystery series / historical mystery / women amateur sleuth / British detective mystery

A poltergeist guilty of murder?

Ginger Gold receives a letter from her sister-in-law, Felicia, requesting Ginger come straightaway to her late husband's family home, Bray Manor. Dowager Lady Gold, Ginger's nervous grandmother through marriage, believes the old manor is haunted.

Ginger doesn't believe in ghosts, but is haunted nevertheless by memories of her husband and the lure of his gravesite she just can't bring herself to visit.

In order to keep Bray Manor afloat financially, Felicia and Ambrosia have opened the estate to the public for club meetings and special events. Knitters, stamp collectors and gardeners converge weekly--targets for the poltergeist that seems to find amusement in hiding small things from their owners.

Bray Manor hosts a dance to raise money for maimed soldiers who struggle with peacetime after the Great War. Felicia invites her flapper friends and her new beau, Captain Smithwick, a man Ginger has met before and definitely doesn't like.

When the dance ends with the discovery of a body, Ambrosia is certain the poltergeist is to blame, but Ginger is quite sure the murderer is made of flesh and blood.

Espionage, intrigue . . . murder . . .

It's 1924 and war widow fashionista Ginger Gold's new Regent Street dress shop, Feathers & Flair, is the talk of the London fashion district attracting aristocrats from Paris to Berlin to Moscow.

Ginger is offered her first job as a private detective when her sister-in-law's stage actor friend goes missing, and though the dress shop takes most of her time, Ginger takes the case.

But when a Russian grand duchess dies at the shop's official grand opening event, Ginger ignores the missing person to chase a killer. It's a decision she will live to regret.

Murder's Bad Karma. . .

Life couldn't be better on Eaton Square Gardens where the most prestigious families lived, until one of their own dies and it's murder.

Ginger and Basil are on the case, but it's not a simple glass of bubbly fizz. The more the clues present themselves, the trickier the puzzle gets, and Ginger feels she's on a wild goose chase.

But as someone close to the victim so aptly quips, "One shouldn't commit murder. It's bad karma."

Reaping what one sows is hardly a great cup of tea.

Murder's a Bad Stroke of Luck

River Thames boat races between the London University colleges are popular events, and Mrs. Ginger Reed is excited to attend for the first time, especially since the son of a good friend of her new husband, Chief Inspector Basil Reed, is racing.

When a very unusual murder presents itself at the boat club, Lady Gold's Investigations is hired to take on the case. Ginger's determined to solve the mystery before someone else dies, but can she manage it without ruining another pair of Italian leather T-strap shoes?

Espionage, intrigue . . . murder . . .

It's 1924 and war widow fashionista Ginger Gold's new Regent Street dress shop, Feathers & Flair, is the talk of the London fashion district attracting aristocrats from Paris to Berlin to Moscow.

Ginger is offered her first job as a private detective when her sister-in-law's stage actor friend goes missing, and though the dress shop takes most of her time, Ginger takes the case.

But when a Russian grand duchess dies at the shop's official grand opening event, Ginger ignores the missing person to chase a killer. It's a decision she will live to regret.

Cadavers can be deadly . . .
Unregistered corpses are showing up amongst the cadavers in the mortuary of the London School of Medicine for Women. Unnatural deaths. Murders. The first known victim is recognized by Haley Higgins, a third-year pathology student. War-widow fashionista Ginger Gold feels a responsibility for the man's death and is determined to find his killer.

Her pursuit takes her into the dangerous realm of the famous Italian gangster Charles ''Derby'' Sabini. With the help of Haley and the handsome Chief Inspector Reed - an uneasy alliance - Ginger investigates shady dealings at the docks and at the racehorse stables. What does one have to do with the other, and how are they connected to the bodies piling up at the mortuary? Someone is working on the inside at the school, and Ginger has to find out who before she, or someone she loves, ends up lifeless on a ceramic mortuary slab.

About the Author
Strauss, Lee: - Lee Strauss is a USA TODAY bestselling author of The Ginger Gold Mysteries series, The Higgins & Hawke Mystery series (cozy historical mysteries), A Nursery Rhyme Mystery series (mystery suspense), The Perception series (young adult dystopian), The Light & Love series (sweet romance), The Clockwise Collection (YA time travel romance), and young adult historical fiction with over a million books read. She has titles published in German, Spanish and Korean, and a growing audio library. When Lee's not writing or reading she likes to cycle, hike, and play pickleball. She loves to drink caffè lattes and red wines in exotic places, and eat dark chocolate anywhere. For more info on books by Lee Strauss and her social media links, visit leestraussbooks.com. To make sure you don't miss the next new release, be sure to sign up for her readers' list!

Mayhem All Aboard

One blustery day in October of 1924, newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Basil Reed travel aboard the recently christened Flying Scotsman, a high-speed steam engine train that travels from London to Edinburgh, for their honeymoon. With only one short stop at York, Ginger anticipates time with her new husband will fly by.

She's wrong. Something terrible has happened in the Royal Mail carriage, which forces the train to stop dead in its tracks. There's been a death and Chief Inspector Reed has been asked to investigate.

It's a uniquely disturbing murder and Ginger and Basil are eager to puzzle it out together. What do the first class passengers have to do with the dead man? With another crime shortly discovered, Ginger and Basil soon realize they're not dealing with a run-of-the-mill killer--they're dealing with a mastermind who's not done playing with them yet.

Weddings can be murder

Romance is in the air for the delightful Reverend Oliver Hill. Unfortunately, the choir rehearsal for the wedding ends abruptly with the sudden and disturbing appearance of a body.

War widow fashionista Ginger Gold is determined to find the killer even if it means working with the dashing, yet exasperating Chief Inspector Basil Reed, but only in her professional capacity as a private investigator. Like they say: once burnt, twice shy.

Basil has his work cut out for him if he wants to solve this case and win back Ginger's heart.

He's up for the challenge.

In the spirit of Agatha Christie, Lee Strauss presents a brand new series reminiscent of the Golden Age of Mysteries.

It's 1923 and young war widow fashionista Ginger Gold makes a cross-Atlantic journey with her companion Haley Higgins to London England to settle her father's estate. When the ship's captain is found dead, Ginger is only too happy to lend her assistance to the handsome Chief Inspector Basil Reed.

The SS Rosa delivers a convincing array of suspects--the wife, the mistress, a jealous crewmate. To Ginger's dismay, her name has been added to the list With a little help from Ginger's dog Boss, Ginger and Haley navigate the clues (those wartime operative skills come in handy.) They must solve the case and clear Ginger's name before they dock--and oh, whatever shall she wear

“Webber has crafted a summer setting that is both magical and dangerous in this profound coming-of-age story. I laughed out loud. I held my breath. I anxiously pressed on for 'just one more page' (page after page, after page) and I cried. She has touched me on many levels in this, her first novel. It’s ending has haunted me for days since finishing it. It is a book I'll not soon forget. For this reviewer, The Wiregrass was reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom Sawyer, and Of Mice and Men, yet all the while it was its very own unique story written with a large measure of tenderness and grace. What a privilege to have the opportunity to read this book that is surely destined to become a best-seller!” ―Story Circle Book Reviews

“There are deep southern traditions at work here, of memory, courage, sweetness, and sadness. This is a brave book at the same time it's complex and gentle, and the way it honors a sense of time and place is truly remarkable.” ―David L. Robbins, New York Times bestselling author of Scorched Earth and The Empty Quarter

Reminiscent of the stories and styles of Harper Lee, Sue Monk Kidd, and Jan Karon, Pam Webber's The Wiregrass ​is ​an extraordinary tale about a magical time in an ordinary place full of lovable and unlovable characters. Infused with laughter, tears, love, loss, and hope, the story follows fourteen-year-old cousins Nettie, J.D. Eric, and Sam as they navigate the summer of their discontent, struggle with the physical and emotional turbulence of puberty and disappearing childhood, feel the excitement of first love, and run for their lives ​after they uncover an evil secret hidden in the shadows of the small town they love. Their story promises to stay with you a lifetime.

Author Bio:
Pam Webber is a nationally certified nurse practitioner and award-winning university-level nursing educator. She has published numerous articles and co-authored four editions of a nursing textbook. Pam resides in Virginia's Northern Shenandoah Valley with her husband. The Wiregrass is her first novel.

 

Independently published with She Writes Press

“This addicting historical fiction novel will have you wishing you could have experienced 1930s Chicago.” ―Buzzfeed

In this second book of the series, Henrietta and Clive delightfully rewrite Pride and Prejudice—with a hint of mystery!

Newly engaged, Clive and Henrietta now begin the difficult task of meeting each other’s family. “Difficult” because Clive has neglected to tell Henrietta that he is in fact the heir to the Howard estate and fortune, and Henrietta has just discovered that her mother has been hiding secrets about her past as well. When Clive brings Henrietta to the family estate to meet his parents, they are less than enthused about his impoverished intended. Left alone in this extravagant new world when Clive returns to the city, Henrietta finds herself more at home with the servants than his family, much to the disapproval of Mrs. Howard—and soon gets caught up in the disappearance of an elderly servant’s ring, not realizing that in doing so she has become part of a bigger, darker plot.

As Clive and Henrietta attempt to discover the truth in the two very different worlds unraveling around them, they both begin to wonder: Are they meant for each other after all?

More Reviews:

“Henrietta and Inspector Howard make a charming odd couple in A Ring of Truth, mixing mystery and romance in a fizzy 1930s cocktail.” ―Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author

“The crème de la crème of historical fiction.” ―Brit+Co

“Brimming with dark plot on every page, this unpredictable literary thrill ride will transport you to the heart of 1930s Chicago and the love story of a lifetime.” ―POPSUGAR

“Light romance with witty writing, while still maintaining a somber and serious story, this book is a delight.” ―Independent Book Publishers Association

“The characters are well-drawn, with depth. Cox builds anticipation by foreshadowing issues that will come up in future volumes of the series. Hen and Clive’s romance is real and touching.” ―Historical Novel Society

“Once that glass slipper fits, how hard is it for Cinderella to adapt to life as the princess after so long as the scullery maid? And how many people are just itching for her to fail? A Ring of Truth features the same well-developed characters, adding depth and complexity to the story, while also giving readers that same “you are there” feeling of a walk back in time.” ―Chanticleer Reviews

“A Ring of Truth is the second book in the delightful Henrietta and Inspector Howard series, but there's plenty to dive straight into even if you haven't read the last one.” ―Bustle

“There’s a lot to love about the bloodhound couple at the center of this cozy mystery.” ―Foreword Reviews

“The second book of this mystery series is laced with fiery romance so delicious every reader will struggle to put it down. If you devoured Pride and Prejudice, this love story will get your heart beating just as fast.” ―Redbook

“A 1930s Chicagoan love story with a heavy dose of thrilling mystery―we bet we have your attention. If you aren’t already addicted to Clive and Henrietta’s epic love story we recommend you indulge your imagination with the first book and then move on to A Ring of Truth―the absolutely unputdownable sequel that centers around Clive’s mysterious fortune and strange wrath of his affluent family.” ―Bookstr

“Set in the 1930s, this romantic mystery combines the teetering elegance of Downton Abbey and the staid traditions of Pride and Prejudice with a bit of spunk and determination that suggest Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs.” ―Booklist

“An engaging and effective romp rich with historical details.” ―Kirkus

“A sensational story with an exciting setting that readers will enjoy navigating.... Clive and Henrietta are well-developed, real, and memorable. They are an incredible pair of sleuths and the reader learns to care about them as they are eager to see what happens at the end. A Ring of Truth features great writing with exceptional dialogues and a plot that is swiftly paced, driven by a strong conflict.” ―Readers' Favorite

“Cox does an excellent job of bringing the 1930s to life with the Chicago setting and details true to the era. The couple’s chemistry is endearing, and the background stories, colorful characters, and vividly described scenes also add a lot to the authenticity of the drama.” ―Reader Views

Author Bio:

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as "Novel Notes of Local Lore," a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago's forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn't have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.
 
Shop the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

Self-published with She Writes Press

”Henrietta and Inspector Howard are the best pair of sleuths I've come across in ages. A fantastic start to what is sure to be a long running series.” ―Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
 
Henrietta Von Harmon works as a 26 girl at a corner bar on Chicago's northwest side. It's 1935, but things still aren't looking up since the big crash and her father's subsequent suicide, leaving Henrietta to care for her antagonistic mother and younger siblings.
 
Henrietta is eventually persuaded to take a job as a taxi dancer at a local dance hall―and just when she's beginning to enjoy herself, the floor matron turns up dead. When aloof Inspector Clive Howard appears on the scene, Henrietta agrees to go undercover for him―and is plunged into Chicago's grittier underworld.
 
Meanwhile, she's still busy playing mother hen to her younger siblings, as well as to pesky neighborhood boy Stanley, who believes himself in love with her and keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, determined to keep Henrietta safe―even from the Inspector, if need be. Despite his efforts, however, and his penchant for messing up the Inspector's investigation, the lovely Henrietta and the impenetrable Inspector find themselves drawn to each other in most unsuitable ways.

More Reviews:

2021 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Awards): Gold Winner in Book Series – Fiction
2017 IPPY Awards: Gold Mystery Winner
2016 Readers Favorite: Gold Mystery Winner
2016 Foreword Indies: Gold Mystery Winner
2016 Foreword Indies: Romance Finalist
2016 Shelf Unbound: Top 100 Notable Indie
2016 Chanticleer Awards: Mystery and Mayhem 1st place Winner
2016 USA Best Book Awards: Fiction Romance Finalist
2016 Beverly Hills Book Awards: Regional Fiction Winner – Midwest
2016 Next Generation Indies: Romance Finalist
2019 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Finalist in Series
2016 Reader Views: Historical Fiction Winner; Regional Winner – Great Lakes; Tyler Tichelaar Award

”Henrietta and Clive are a sexy, endearing, and downright fun pair of sleuths. Readers will not see the final twist coming.” ―Library Journal

“Fans of spunky, historical heroines will love Henrietta Von Harmon.” ―Booklist

“Cox’s use of literary detail brings scenes into full focus as the reader anxiously races through the pages of this deliciously written cloak and dagger affair. A delightful story.” ―Readers’ Favorite

“A Girl Like You is very intriguing, well-written, and the plot very entertaining. Readers will be drawn into the sights, smells, and seedy side of Chicago.” ―Reader Views

“Even if a mystery didn’t enfold, this would be a thoroughly satisfying novel…. The embedded mystery, however, takes this book to another level, a feat of successful merging of genres.” ―Chanticleer Reviews

“Chicago in the 1930s: Be still, our history-obsessed hearts. Dashing inspector Clive Howard convinces Henrietta Von Harmon to go undercover in Chicago’s dark underworld of crime, and her mission for evidence leads to an undeniable romance sure to leave readers swooning.” ―Bookstr, Top 5 Historical Fiction Reads for Romance Lovers

“Here is another wonderful mystery series set between the wars that is less Maisie Dobbs and more Amory Ames (albeit with a lower class main character) or Kate Shackleton but should appeal to fans of all between the wars mysteries or even just fiction for that matter.” ―ReadSpace

“As the two continue to sleuth together, Henrietta realizes that the most difficult thing to keep under wraps might be her heart.” ―Buzzfeed, 5 Historical Mysteries for Romance Lovers

“The authentic setting rich in cinematic detail of Chicago during The Great Depression is the perfect backdrop for a plethora of vivid characters in Michele Cox’s novel A Girl Like You. A highly entertaining mystery.” ―Sande Boritz Berger, author of The Sweetness

“Anyone who enjoys a well-written romantic mystery set in a gritty time and place will enjoy A Girl Like You.” ―M.A. Adler, author of In the Shadow of Lies

“The book’s cast of additional characters, headed by Inspector Howard, accompanies Henrietta through a murder, a dangerous job, and touching reminders that life turns on small intimacies. This engaging book bodes well for the following works in the series!” ―Barbara Stark-Nemon, author of Even in Darkness

*Listed as a “Top Read” by PopSugar, Elle, Buzzfeed, Brit&Co, Culturalist, Redbook, Bookstr, Bustle, Shelf Unbound, and many others*
 
Author Bio:

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as "Novel Notes of Local Lore," a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago's forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there. Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and many others, so she might be on to something. Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn't have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music. Also marmalade.
 
Shop the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

Self-published with She Writes Press

“E.W. Cooper has written a fabulous mystery that will keep readers guessing until the end…For fans of a whodunnit set in historical New York, Murder at the Met will be right up their alley…This is an excellent addition to the Penelope Harris Mysteries, and it will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. A superbly fun story!”  —InD’tale Magazine 

"Another fabulous book by E.W. Cooper! High society secrets and a murder mystery—what could be more exciting!"  —NetGalley Reviewer 

NEW YORK, NOVEMBER 1928. No one can keep a secret like high society—especially when that secret is murder.

A month after her cousin’s headline-making party, Penelope Harris has tried to put the incident behind her. Focused, instead, on restarting her opera career, she is distracted only by the flirtations of handsome former policeman Thomas Lund. When two tickets ensure Penelope and Lund get some precious time together at the Metropolitan Opera, neither expects another murderous to interrupt their romantic evening.

Before their night at the Met is over, a failed manufacturing tycoon is found dead at the bottom of a staircase, his poisoned and dying daughter nearby. Was his death an accident, suicide, or murder?

After a fellow soprano pleads for help finding in out what happened, Penelope begins unraveling a diabolical crime, while Lund rushes to complete the investigation of a suicide on Long Island’s Gold Coast. What they both find will uncover the sordid underbelly of New York’s elite and put Penelope on the wrong side of her own gun.

South Regent Mansions has all the modern conveniences...including murder

London, February, 1924. Discreet sleuth for the high society set, Olive Belgrave is delighted with her new flat at South Regent Mansions where she's made several friends, including the modern career woman, Minerva, who draws a popular cartoon about a flapper for a London newspaper.

But then Minerva comes to Olive for help after catching a glimpse of a disturbing sight-a dead body. At least, that's what Minerva thought she saw, but there's not a dead body anywhere in the posh building, and the residents are continuing with their lives as they normally do. Is Minerva seeing things? Is she barmy? Or is there a more sinister explanation?

To help restore Minerva's peace of mind, Olive investigates her neighbors. They include: society's "it" girl of the moment, an accountant with a fondness for gadgets, a snooty society matron, and a school teacher turned bridge instructor. Olive uncovers rivalries, clandestine affairs, and hidden jealousies. With dashing Jasper at her side, Olive must discover whose secret is worth killing for.

If you like sophisticated whodunits, charming characters, and novels with a lighthearted tone, you'll enjoy the seventh installment of the High Society Lady Detective series, Murder at the Mansions, from USA Today bestselling author, Sara Rosett.

About the Author
USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits. She loves reading Golden Age mysteries, watching Jane Austen adaptions, and travel. She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series: the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara is the creator of the online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, and is the author of How to Write a Series. Her nonfiction for readers includes The Bookish Sleuth: Mystery Reader's Journal and Planner. Publishers Weekly called Sara's books enchanting, well-executed, and sparkling. Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. 

Midnight treasure hunts, fancy-dress parties, and a blue-blooded murder . . .

November, 1923. Olive's school chum, Gigi, invites Olive to London because Gigi's dotty grandmother fears for her life--or so she's said to Gigi. However Olive is surprised to find that the dowager is far from muddled. The sharp and imperious matriarch refuses to admit to her worries and sends Olive on her way.

Without a client or case, Olive is swept into the glittering lifestyle of the "fast set," and their decadent excess. But then among the cocktails and champagne, a murderer strikes during a frivolous party game, and Olive realizes the dowager's fears were well-founded.

Can Olive unmask the upper crust culprit before the party's over for a Bright Young Person?

An Old Money Murder in Mayfair is the fifth installment in the popular High Society Lady Detective series from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett. Join Olive and her dapper sleuthing partner, Jasper, as they navigate the extravagant parties of the Bright Young People as well as their own budding relationship . . .

About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits. She loves reading Golden Age mysteries, watching Jane Austen adaptions, and travel. She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series: the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series. Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, and is the author of How to Write a Series. Publishers Weekly called Sara's books enchanting, well-executed, and sparkling. Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.

An opulent London townhouse, a mummy curse . . .

. . . and a plucky lady detective. It's October, 1923, and Olive Belgrave has a new case. Her client, Lady Agnes doesn't believe in curses, and she hires Olive to prove her Egyptologist uncle wasn't the victim of a malevolent mummy. Olive investigates and discovers the truth is much worse--it's murder.

Can Olive debunk the curse and reveal the true culprit before the supposed curse claims another victim?

The Egyptian Antiquities Murder is the third book in the High Society Lady Detective series, a historical mystery series set in 1920s England. If you enjoy lighthearted novels reminiscent of the Golden Age of detective fiction with spirited protagonists, perplexing mysteries, and atmospheric settings, you'll love the High Society Lady Detective series from USA Today bestseller Sara Rosett. Get your copy today

About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes fun mysteries. Her books are lighthearted escapes for readers who enjoy interesting settings, quirky characters, and puzzling mysteries. Publishers Weekly called Sara's books, satisfying, well-executed, and sparkling. Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement. Find out more at SaraRosett.com.