- A Blake Sisters Travel Mystery
- Amateur Detectives
- Amateur Sleuth
- Amateur Sleuths
- Barbara Freethy
- Black Lab Press
- Blake Sisters
- Brian Shea
- Britt Lind
- Bublish
- Buoy Media
- Byrd Books LLC
- Callahan Banks Mystery
- Callahan Banks Mystery series
- Carter Fielding
- Carter Fielding Press
- Cassandra Sato Mystery
- Cheryl Bradshaw
- Christopher Greyson
- Collections & Anthologies
- Cozy
- Cozy Mystery
- Cozy Travel Mystery
- Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
- Crime
- Criminals
- Cultural Heritage
- Cultural Region/British
- Denise Grover Swank
- Dershie McDevitt
- DGS
- Domestic
- E. W. Cooper
- Ecological Mystery
- Elle Gray
- Emerald Prairie Press
- Emily Kimelman
- Erotica
- Espionage
- Espionage / Thriller
- Eva Rae Thomas Mystery
- Fiction
- Fog City Publishing
- Friendship
- Ginger Gold Mystery
- Greyson Media Associates
- Hard-Boiled
- Henrietta and Inspector Howard Novel
- High Society Lady Detective
- Historical
- Inc.
- Independently Published
- Infinitebook
- Ink Dog Press
- International Crime & Mystery
- J. J. Green
- Jack Stratton Detective
- Jennifer S. Alderson
- Justice
- K. M. Rought
- Karen Ann Hopkins
- Karen Ann Hopkins Serenity’s Plain Secrets
- Karen Ann Hopkins Serenity’s Plain Secrets Series
- Kate Gable
- Keith Yocum
- Kelly Brakenhoff
- La Plume Press
- Lee Strauss
- Lilly Mirren
- Lindsey Whitaker
- Liquid Mind Media
- Literary
- LLC
- London (England)
- Lost Haven Press
- Man-woman relationships
- McGuffin Ink
- Meg Wolfe
- Michelle Cox
- Missing persons
- Missing persons - Investigation
- Murder - Investigation
- Murder Mystery
- Murder on Location
- Mystery
- Mystery & Detective
- Mystery Series
- Mystery Thriller
- Mystery Thriller & Suspense
- Mystery/ Detective
- Nebraska
- Paperback
- Paperback Writer's Publishing
- Police Procedural
- Private Investigators
- Psychological
- Psychological Suspense
- PUB201106
- PUB201308
- PUB201309
- PUB201311
- PUB201401
- PUB201403
- PUB201404
- PUB201406
- PUB201411
- PUB201501
- PUB201502
- PUB201503
- PUB201508
- PUB201603
- PUB201609
- PUB201610
- PUB201611
- PUB201612
- PUB201704
- PUB201706
- PUB201707
- PUB201709
- PUB201802
- PUB201808
- PUB201811
- PUB201901
- PUB201902
- PUB201903
- PUB201904
- PUB201905
- PUB201907
- PUB201908
- PUB201909
- PUB201911
- PUB201912
- PUB202002
- PUB202003
- PUB202004
- PUB202005
- PUB202006
- PUB202007
- PUB202008
- PUB202009
- PUB202010
- PUB202011
- PUB202012
- PUB202101
- PUB202102
- PUB202103
- PUB202104
- PUB202105
- PUB202106
- PUB202107
- PUB202108
- PUB202109
- PUB202110
- PUB202111
- PUB202201
- PUB202202
- PUB202204
- PUB202205
- PUB202207
- PUB202209
- PUB202210
- PUB202211
- Riley Masters
- Romance
- Rose Gardner Investigations
- Rose Gardner Investigatons
- Sara Rosett
- Serenity's Plain Secrets
- Serenity’s Plain Secrets
- Serenity’s Plain Secrets Series
- Sex & Gender/Feminine
- She Writes Press
- Sheriffs
- Sisters
- Sl Beaumont
- South Carolina
- Southern
- Suspense
- The Charlotte Anthony Mysteries
- Thriller
- Thrillers
- Traditional
- Travel
- Travel Mystery
- Traveling Life Press
- Weddings
- Willow Rose
- Women
- Women detectives
- Women Sleuths
- Women's Fiction
- Women’s Domestic Life Fiction
- Women’s Fiction
- Zelda Richardson Mystery
116 products
A Perfect Wife
There is truth to all of that, but for a price.
The precious thing you lost, might just find its way back to you... Fourteen years ago, Blake Wilder's life turned into one of tragedy.
In an instant she lost her family... Her parents murdered, and her sister taken.
At the age of 22, Blake joined the FBI in hopes of discovering the truth behind the mysteries of her past.
Now, she is called to a homicide scene involving a brutal murder of a male victim.
But, what started out as a simple case turns into one that involves a sadistic killer that preys on young women.
And the further Blake dives into the case the more she realizes that the killer has a dark and twisted fantasy life of romance and courtship. And with his eighth victim already in his grasp, it's up to her to get into the man's head and figure him out before the clock runs out on this girl and he moves onto his ninth victim. Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
What ever you do, don't let him catch you.
A Ring of Truth
“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
A Wife's Secret
And for Paxton Arrington, his wife's spirit lives on in his memories, in his moments of grief, and at times in his moments of hopelessness.
To this day, the search for the truth behind her death continues to propel him forward. Paxton never believed the official story... He knew Veronica had been murdered. But he'd been short on evidence to support that belief and for several years, he'd found himself treading water, both with the case of his wife's death and with the pain of his greatest loss. But then a shocking murder and a mysterious email kick started the investigation into her death once more. While following a trail of clues left by his long dead wife, Paxton finds himself embroiled in a game of cat and mouse against an unknown adversary who is willing to do anything to keep their secrets buried. But what Paxton finds at the end of that trail proved even more elusive and shocking than he had ever imagined... Old foes emerge to stop him, while new friends help Paxton along the way to discover what happened to his wife that cold autumn night.
Finding the truth will require him to confront the darkest parts of himself.
Getting the answers he's been looking for, might force him to make the ultimate sacrifice. Darkness has a way of eluding the light.
Nothing is ever simple.
But one questions remains...
What is the price of truth and vengeance?
An Old Money Murder in Mayfair
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 Uncharted Corpse: A Charlotte Anthony Mystery
As in the previous Charlotte Anthony mysteries, the action takes place in Elm Grove and features characters both new and familiar. Charlotte's daughter, Ellis, returns to the typical small Midwestern town much more grown up than when she left, attracting the attention of both Tread, the scion of a political dynasty, and the handsome and slightly mysterious Selim. But she is plagued by an inexplicable sense of dread-and wonders if the answer lies in mysticism.
Charlotte again teams up with Detective Barnes to solve the present-day crimes, with the hope that she will finally unravel the remaining mysteries of her partner Donovan's colorful ancestry.
An Uncharted Corpse is the fourth installment of the Charlotte Anthony Mystery series, preceded by An Uncollected Death, An Unexamined Wife, and An Undisclosed Vocation.
An Uncollected Death: A Charlotte Anthony Mystery
About the Author
Meg is a long-time nonfiction writer, most recently of The Minimalist Woman blog and its related self-help and cookbooks. She now focuses almost exclusively on fiction, and has written and published two mysteries, An Uncollected Death and An Unexamined Wife. A third, An Undisclosed Location, is slated for release in Summer of 2015. Meg has an MA in English. She lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, writer and photographer Steve Johnson. .
An Unexamined Wife: A Charlotte Anthony Mystery
About the Author
Meg is a long time nonfiction writer, most recently of The Minimalist Woman blog and its related self-help and cookbooks. She now focuses almost exclusively on fiction, and has written and published two mysteries, An Uncollected Death and An Unexamined Wife. A third, An Undisclosed Location, is slated for release in Summer of 2015. Meg has an MA in English. She lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, writer and photographer Steve Johnson. Contact: megwolfewrites@gmail.com Web: megwolfe.com
Bed of Bones
Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island
“Fast paced, whip smart, and satisfying. This irresistible beach read crackles with wit.” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of The Beach House series
From the author of the best-selling Liz Talbot Mystery Series comes a novel about family and secrets, and the lengths we'll go to in order to protect both.
Can this charming do-gooder carry the day?
Charleston, SC. Hadley Cooper has a big heart. So when the easygoing private investigator gets a request from a new friend to stake out her husband's extramarital activities, she immediately begins surveillance. And when her client is discovered dead on her kitchen floor, the Southern spitfire is certain the cheater is the culprit ... even though he has the perfect alibi: Hadley herself.
Flustered since she observed the cad four hours away in Greenville at the time of the murder, the determined PI desperately searches for clues to tie him to the crime. But when her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be the lead detective on the case, arrests a handy suspect, Hadley fears a guilty man is about to walk free.
Can this Palmetto State sleuth make an impossible connection to prevent a miscarriage of justice?
With dry wit and delightful dialogue, Susan M. Boyer delivers an eccentric, vegan gumshoe sure to appeal to any fan of Southern women's fiction. With her merry band of sassy friends, Hadley Cooper is a Lowcountry detective you won't soon forget.
Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island is the engaging first book in the Carolina Tales series. If you like strong heroines, quirky sisterhoods, and plenty of Southern charm, then you'll love Susan M. Boyer's wonderful whodunit.
More Reviews:
“With characters that come to life on the page and a perfectly crafted mystery that keeps them turning, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island is an utterly charming, beautifully atmospheric novel that will transport readers right into the Lowcountry. Susan Boyer's genius lies in her ability to make readers laugh, cry, and gasp—often all in the same chapter! The first book in the new Carolina Tales series, this is a 5-star read that has me counting the days until the next installment! No one is better than Susan Boyer at crafting an unforgettable Southern tale!” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil
“With a savvy heroine with a rich and interesting past, boisterous humor and colorful characters, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island positively drips with southern charm. This is a highly entertaining mystery you won't want to miss. Hadley is my new favorite private eye!” —Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Fixer-Upper and Bibliophile Mysteries
“A wholesome, entertaining mystery anchored by a PI with plenty of personality.” —Kirkus
“Susan M. Boyer has outdone herself with her newest book, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island. Steeped in Southern charm and comprised of quirky characters and more than a little sass, the novel is a deftly crafted murder mystery that is at times touching and cleverly humorous. A rare gem.” —Karen McQuestion, bestselling author of The Moonlight Child
“Every word sounds like a molasses-slow coastal Carolina drawl—the real kind, not the cloying, fake TV kind. The characters and the secrets they fight to keep could come from any gathering of women of a certain age in that secret-rich sea island place. The book transported me to languid, sandy days—and made me long to head to the coast.” —Cathy Pickens, author of Carolina True Crime series
Author Bio:
Susan M. Boyer is the USA Today bestselling author of twelve novels. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Subsequent books have been nominated for various honors, including Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Picks, the 2016 Pat Conroy Beach Music Mystery Prize, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize in Mystery & Detective Fiction.
Black Diamond Death
About the Author
Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author. Born and raised in Southern California, Cheryl Bradshaw became interested in writing at a young age, but it was almost two decades before she put pen to paper. In 2009 Bradshaw wrote Black Diamond Death (Book One: Sloane Monroe series). Within six weeks it entered the top 100 in two different categories and remained in the top 100 for over a year. Since that time, Bradshaw has written four additional novels in the series, and is busy penning two additional novels this year. In 2013, Bradshaw introduced a new paranormal thriller series: Addison Lockhart, the first book titled Grayson Manor Haunting. Bradshaw is the founder of IWU on Facebook, a writers group with over 2,000 members. In August 2012, Bradshaw was named one of Twitter's seven best authors to follow. In 2013, Bradshaw's novel, Stranger in Town, was chosen as a Shamus Award finalist in the category of best P.I. novel of the year. She was the only female nominated in her category. Cheryl Bradshaw's Novels: Sloane Monroe Series: Black Diamond Death (#1) Murder in Mind (#2) I Have a Secret (#3) Stranger in Town (#4) Bed of Bones (#5) Addison Lockhart Series: Grayson Manor Haunting (#1) Till Death do us Part Novella Murder Series: Whispers of Murder (#1) Echoes of Murder (#2) COMING SOON! For information and updates about Cheryl Bradshaw, visit her at www.cherylbradshaw.com, find her on Facebook on her Cheryl Bradshaw Author Page and follow her on Twitter @cherylbradshaw.
Blind Vigilance (A Sydney Rye Mystery, Book #13)
No, no, no. I grab my phone, unlock it, navigate to favorites, and touch Mulberry's name without even fully registering the thought.
It rings. How am I going to explain knowing Sydney Rye needs help?
I'm thousands of miles away, stationed on a private island in the middle of the Pacific. And yet-
"Hello?" Mulberry's voice, gravelly with sleep, cuts through my thoughts.
"Sydney is bleeding."
"What?" Mulberry's voice clears as sheets rustle in the background.
A dog barks. I focus on the monitor with the live feed of Sydney's room. Blue is up and going wild. Sydney, her shoulder length hair splayed out on the pillow, the white of the hotel sheets only a few shades lighter than her blanched skin, remains motionless.
I didn't even need to call. The dogs would have alerted Mulberry. Foolish. Careless. Stupid.
"What's going on, Dan?"
I don't answer.
The door between Mulberry and Sydney's rooms flies open-I watch it on the screen and hear the hinges swoosh over the phone line. Reaching out, I slide my finger along the stylus bar to raise the volume. Mulberry stumbles into Sydney's room, unsteady on just his one leg.
She didn't lock the door. That isn't like her. Except it was Mulberry on the other side. A subtle invitation?
"No!" Mulberry's voice echoes between the phone and computer speakers. He lunges toward the bed.
Sydney lies on her back, a dark stain spreading around her hips. Mulberry drops the phone when he grabs her shoulders, his broad back blocking Sydney's face from my view.
I swivel to a different monitor and bring up Mulberry's phone screen. I dial 911. Someone has to. I can always be counted on to do what needs doing. Overstepping saves lives.
"What's your emergency?" the Miami 911 operator asks.
I clench my fist on the glass surface of my desk. Answer her, you idiot. Mulberry doesn't follow my mental command. Fine. I take full control of the phone. "My wife is pregnant and bleeding. We're at the airport Marriott, room 523," I say, my voice even and clear. I say it like it's my baby. Like it's my life. Not something I'm watching on a screen. My eyes flick back to the live feed of her room. "I can't wake her."
Mulberry sits on the edge of the bed, face tear streaked.
Sydney isn't moving.
She isn't moving.
Don't let her die.
P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
Buried in Secrets: Carly Moore #4
Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5
Concealed in Shadow
Dead of Winter Break
It's beginning to look a lot like murder . . .
And Cassandra is knee deep in . . .
Suspects.
Her boss is dead, and the police are calling it burglary gone wrong. But when the killer comes after her, it's going to take more than a pair of furry boots to keep the smart, witty Morton College administrator, Cassandra Sato, out of the deep. . .
Snow.
Her first Christmas in Nebraska could be her last unless her friends help unravel the mystery and housebreak her dog.
Buy now for a fast-paced, holiday themed whodunit.
Dead of Winter Break is the third book in Kelly Brakenhoff's popular Cassandra Sato Mystery Series. Death by Dissertation was a 2020 RONE Award Finalist. Publishers Weekly called Dead Week, "a diverting whodunit."
Death at an English Wedding
Tying the knot was never so deadly...
Wedding bells are ringing for location scouts Kate and Alex in a ceremony at one of England's most elegant stately homes, but when a guest is murdered and suspicion falls on those closest to Kate, she and Alex must put their plans for happily ever after on hold. If they can't figure out who sabotaged their big day, their honeymoon may be over before it begins.
Death at an English Wedding is the seventh installment in the popular Murder on Location series from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett, which features an English village and quirky characters along with dashes of humor and romance.
Indulge your inner Anglophile with Sara Rosett's English village cozy today
About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes cozy mysteries. Her books are fun escapes for readers who like 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.
Death by Baguette: A Valentine's Day Murder in Paris
Paris-the city of love, lights ... and murder? Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to France! Unfortunately it will be the last trip for one passenger...
Lana Hansen's future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend. Regrettably she won't get to celebrate Valentine's Day with her new beau, Chad. Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France. Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her.
Things go downhill when Lana's new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour-with his wife. Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.
After Chad drops dead during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, a persistent French detective becomes convinced that he was poisoned. And the inspector's sights are set on several members of the tour-including Lana!
While escorting her group through the cobblestone streets of Montmartre, the grand gardens of Versailles, and the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges market, Lana must figure out who really killed Chad before she has to say bonjour to prison and adieu to her freedom.
The Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries are heartwarming stories about making friends, traveling, and celebrating new experiences. Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that often turn deadly.
Books in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery series:
Book 1 - Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest
Book 2 - Death by Baguette: A Valentine's Day Murder in Paris
Book 3 - Death by Windmill: A Mother's Day Murder in Amsterdam
Book 4 - Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh
Book 5 - Death by Fountain: A Christmas Murder in Rome
Book 6 - Death by Leprechaun: A Saint Patrick's Day Murder in Dublin
Book 7 - Death by Flamenco: An Easter Murder in Seville
Book 8 - Death by Gondola: A Springtime Murder in Venice
Book 9 - Death by Puffin: A Bachelorette Party Murder in Reykjavik
Books 10-12 - Coming Soon!!
About the Author
Alderson, Jennifer S.: - Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. Her love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her standalone stories. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, Jennifer moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip.
Death by Dissertation
2020 RONE Award Mystery Finalist
“Death by Dissertation is a marvelous read that will make every mystery lover immediately fall for Cassandra Sato through her spunky spirit, dedication to her students, clever quips, and brilliant deduction that is brilliantly woven into the tone of the mystery." —Readers' Favorite, 5 Starred Review
"Unravelling a complex murder mystery, supported by utterly believable characters, Kelly Brakenhoff weaves an eminently readable story filled with superlative narrative and dialogue…From the first page, readers will be assured they have before them a book crafted by a professional that does not disappoint." —InD'tale Magazine 5 Star Crowned Heart
Ambitious Cassandra Sato traded her life in Hawai’i for a dream position at Morton College in rural Nebraska.
She expected the Midwestern church casseroles, land-locked cornfields, and face-freezing winters would be her biggest challenges, but it’s her job that’s rapidly becoming a nightmare.
A deaf student is dead and the investigation reveals a complicated trail of connections between campus food service, a local farmer’s beef, and the science lab’s cancer research. Together with her few allies, Cassandra must protect the students caught up in the entanglement.
Dealing with homesickness, vandalism, and a stalker, Cassandra is trapped in a public relations disaster that could cost her job, or more. No one said college was easy.
Author Bio:
Kelly Brakenhoff writes the Cassandra Sato Mystery series including Death by Dissertation, a 2020 RONE Award Mystery Finalist, Dead Week, "a diverting whodunit," (Publishers Weekly), and Dead of Winter Break, a holiday themed whodunit new for 2020. Kelly is an American Sign Language Interpreter whose motivation for learning ASL began in high school when she wanted to converse with her deaf friends.
Death Count
Can a conspiracy be uncovered before the Death Count rises?
Forensic accountant Kat Munro fights corporate fraud during the day and kickboxes her demons at night while trying to ignore the nightmares that have plagued her since a car accident changed her life forever.
DS Adam Jackson is haunted by the mysterious disappearance of a friend two years ago.
When the partner of a successful London Investment fund dies in suspicious circumstances, Kat joins forces with Adam to investigate the firm. As they gather evidence of a crime with implications beyond the City, they find that events in their pasts are on a collision course; one which will ultimately put them both in serious danger.
Fast-paced and entertaining, Death Count takes a deadly dip into the world of financial crime.
Death in a Stately Home
Good houseguests don't get accused of murder...
Kate Sharp loves the perks of her location scout profession. When she fills in for a researcher at a Regency-themed English house party, she's looking forward to indulging in the posh atmosphere of tea on the lawn and elegant candlelight dinners, but when a guest is murdered in a locked room, Kate becomes the prime suspect.
As she turns her attention to the guests, the staff, and the owners, Kate must unlock the mystery and uncover the murderer before she's arrested for a crime she didn't commit.
Death in a Stately Home is the third installment in the Murder on Location collection, a series of British cozy mysteries. If you love engaging characters, compelling British detective mysteries, the works of Jane Austen, and vivid locations that transport you to another place, then you'll love Sara Rosett's latest whodunit.
Buy Death in a Stately Home to escape into another Kate Sharp mystery today
About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - Sara loves dark chocolate, Pinterest, and getting new stamps in her passport. She writes cozy crime and international heist mysteries. She is the author of the Ellie Avery mystery series, the Murder on Location mystery series, and the On The Run series. Publishers Weekly has called Sara's books satisfying, well-executed, and sparkling. Visit www.SaraRosett.com to learn more or sign up for her free ebook.
Death in an English Cottage
It's spring in England, and location scout Kate Sharp has returned to the quaint village of Nether Woodsmoor with its lush gardens, budding hedgerows, and mellow stone cottages to work on a Jane Austen television documentary. The unique opportunity also gives her the chance to explore a possible romance with Alex, the deliciously rumpled local scout.
Rumors of recently discovered Jane Austen letters stir up the production, but then tragedy strikes and a stranger dies in a fire in a village cottage. Soon it's evident that the fire wasn't an accident, but murder. The police investigation narrows to focus on the documentary crew.
Desperate to keep her job and help a friend under suspicion, Kate delves into the search for the identity of the stranger. What was the stranger's connection to the seemingly sleepy village? And who in the village is lying?
Death in an English Cottage is the second book in the popular Murder on Location cozy mystery series.
About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - Sara loves dark chocolate, Pinterest, and getting new stamps in her passport. She writes cozy crime and international heist mysteries. She is the author of the Ellie Avery mystery series, the Murder on Location mystery series, and the On The Run series. Publishers Weekly has called Sara's books satisfying, well-executed, and sparkling. Visit www.SaraRosett.com to learn more or sign up for her free ebook.
Death in an English Garden
A common, garden variety murder...
Location scout Kate Sharp is enjoying the gorgeous Springtime in her favorite idyllic English village while coordinating locations for a Jane Austen documentary, but when she's assigned to manage a difficult star who has received threats, Kate discovers that danger and death aren't always on screen. After a tragic accident in the star's beautiful English garden, Kate suspects murder. With a sly and secretive murderer intent on putting suspicion on Kate, she must find the culprit before she's led down the garden path.
Death in an English Garden is the sixth entry in the popular Murder on Location series, which is perfect for cozy mystery readers who want to indulge their inner Anglophile. Will appeal to fans of M. C. Beaton, Stephanie Barron, and Marty Wingate.
About the Author
Rosett, Sara: - Sara loves all things bookish, considers dark chocolate a daily requirement, and is on a quest for the best bruschetta. Publishers Weekly has called Sara's books satisfying, well-executed, and sparkling. Her stories and essays have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul, Georgia Magazine, The Writer, and Romantic Times Book Review. She writes cozy mysteries (the Ellie Avery series and the Murder on Location series) and a suspense series with a dash of romance (the On the Run series). Connect with her at www.SaraRosett.com.
Death in the Dark
"Wait!" My voice strained against the wind blowing off the Sea of Cortez. Mulberry was a slow-moving figure several yards ahead, solid looking in the hazy light of dusk, he took his time crossing the beach. I pushed through the sand, running after him. My dog, Blue, stayed by my side, his gait lopsided.
Mulberry didn't turn until I grabbed his arm. "Wait," I panted. "You're right. I need your help."
He grinned, pushing his crow's feet into sharp relief as his yellow-green eyes brightened. "I know," Mulberry laughed. "You're such a mess."
He wrapped me in a hug-one muscular arm around my waist and the other across my shoulders. Mulberry buried his head in my hair and pulled my face into his chest. At first, in that dark intimacy, I felt like I was suffocating. Almost immediately, though, relief washed over me. I am not totally alone in this world; my only companion a limping mutt.
Blue yelped, excited by our embrace, and circled us, churning up the sand. Mulberry smelled like clean laundry, sea salt, and carried an unmistakable scent that was all him. Pulling away, Mulberry left his hands on my shoulders and looked down into my face. He seemed so much bigger than me, so much stronger and smarter, and under control. I felt like a blurry image next to his stark silhouette.
"Come on, I'll buy you dinner," he said, throwing his arm around me. We walked back toward the Oyster Farm. I'd been living there for months, ever since we crossed into Mexico. I'd come for the oysters and stayed for the isolation.
"So, where've you been?" I asked. "It's been what? Four months?" After turning our treasure into money, which made us both rich, Mulberry left, and I stayed, despite his invitation to come with him. "You went to Paris, right?" I asked.
The sun was beneath the sea now, and the deep blue of the sky turned black at the edge. "Yeah, Paris, then London. Like I said, I've been setting up a detective agency."
At my plastic table, a couple of oysters sat in their half-shells. I righted the fallen bottle of tequila next to them, but did not take a sip. The passport, the same deep blue as the darkening sky and embossed with the American seal, waited next to my plate for me to pick it up.
For me to become a new woman: Sydney Rye.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
About the Author
Emily Kimelman not only writes adventure, she lives it every day. Embodying the true meaning of wanderlust, she's written her Sydney Rye mysteries from all over the world. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the mountains of Spain, she finds inspiration for her stories in her own life. While living under communist rule in the former Soviet Union, the KGB sprinkled her with "spy dust", a radioactive concoction that made her glow and left a trail they could follow. She was two. She was destined for amazing things after that, and she continues to find adventure to inspire characters like the badass Sydney Rye.
Death on the Danube: A New Year's Murder in Budapest
Who knew a New Year's trip to Budapest could be so deadly? The tour must go on - even with a killer in their midst...
Recent divorcee Lana Hansen needs a break. Her luck has run sour for going on a decade, ever since she got fired from her favorite job as an investigative reporter. When her fresh start in Seattle doesn't work out as planned, Lana ends up unemployed and penniless on Christmas Eve.
Dotty Thompson, her landlord and the owner of Wanderlust Travels, is also in a tight spot after one of her tour guides ends up in the hospital, leaving her a guide short on Christmas Day.
When Dotty offers her a job leading the tour group through Budapest, Hungary, Lana jumps at the chance. It's the perfect way to ring in the new year and pay her rent
What starts off as the adventure of a lifetime quickly turns into a nightmare when Carl, her fellow tour guide, is found floating in the Danube River. Was it murder or accidental death? Suspects abound when Lana discovers almost everyone on the tour had a bone to pick with Carl.
But Dotty insists the tour must go on, so Lana finds herself trapped with nine murder suspects. When another guest turns up dead, Lana has to figure out who the murderer is before she too ends up floating in the Danube...
Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and unwitting star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.
Book Two, Death by Baguette: A Valentine's Day Murder in Paris, and Book Three, Death by Windmill: A Mother's Day Murder in Amsterdam, are available now. Coming soon: Death by Bagpipes: A Summer Murder in Edinburgh, Book Four in the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series
About the Author
Alderson, Jennifer S.: - Jennifer S. Alderson was born in San Francisco, raised in Seattle, and currently lives in Amsterdam. After traveling extensively around Asia, Oceania, and Central America, she moved to Darwin, Australia, before finally settling in the Netherlands. When not writing, she can be found in a museum, biking around Amsterdam, or enjoying a coffee along the canal while planning her next research trip. Jennifer's love of travel, art, and culture inspires her award-winning Zelda Richardson Mystery series, her Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mysteries, and her standalone stories. Visit Jennifer's website (www.jennifersalderson.com) to learn more about her books.
Deception
The battle between good and evil is ill-defined in the land of Hollywood. Rarely do kind, compassionate souls win the spoils of war which makes their rare victories all the sweeter.
Josh Sibley, singer/songwriter, is handsome, talented, smart and headed for oblivion. Alcohol provides relief when his demons threaten to overwhelm his every effort to break free of his past. When his friend Jennie Seger arranges for him to write songs for a multi-million-dollar feature, all his doubts and fears fall away, and he embraces the opportunity like a starving man who has found a bounteous feast during a famine.
Lightning strikes his lonely heart in the form of singer/actress Lila Levy who is married to the producer of the movie and flaunts her sexuality at Josh knowing her breathtaking beauty more than makes up for her lack of talent. Knowing his love for Lila is doomed from the start, he overlooks her shortcomings and keeps his feelings under wraps as he teaches her to sing his songs.
But this is Hollywood, and nothing is as it seems. Lila has secrets that Josh cannot begin to fathom and doesn't want to know. When her husband Stan is murdered, Lila disappears and Josh is confronted by the woman determined to track her down - Sergeant Rosemaria Baker of the Beverly Hills Police Department. Rosemaria is the opposite of Lila; she hates show business and considers Josh a delusional loser. When the cops track down Lila and bring her in, Lila declares herself innocent and the fight for the soul of Josh Sibley begins.
About the Author
Lind, Britt: - Britt Lind is an actress, singer and writer who has performed in television shows, movies and on stage in Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver, B.C. She has written several screenplays and came in as runner-up in the Washington State Screenwriting Competition for her screenplay A Light in the Forest. Britt lives in Thousand Oaks, California with her husband, Nick Alexander, a screenwriter, and their three feral cats, Teeny, Toughie and Baby Hughie who used to live a hardscrabble life in the cold and rain in the frozen north of Washington State and now enjoy a life of luxury in the sun as is their due. Britt is also president of a nonprofit, People for Reason in Science and Medicine, a pro-health, pro-environment, anti-vivisection organization. Her inspirational memoir Learning How to Fly, that was a winner in the 2019 Beverly Hills Book Awards in the Performing Arts Category, is available on Amazon. Her website is www.brittlind.com.
Devil's Breath: Sydney Rye Mysteries #5
At the end of a long journey, lightning flashed outside my window...I need more control.
My hand jumped to Mulberry's forearm and squeezed. Shutting my eyes, I struggled not to picture the small plane cracking in half, my body flying through the air, still seat-belted to the beige leather chair; Blue, his paws grasping at empty space, disappearing into the bruise-colored clouds.
The small jet shook and our pilot's voice, smooth and steady, came over the loudspeaker, "Sorry about the bumps. We'll have you down in Miami in about twenty minutes. Just hold tight."
Mulberry put his hand over mine. "Don't worry," he said. "We'll be there soon." He smiled, making his crow's feet crinkle. Mulberry's eyes were deep emerald with ochre and flashes of gold. I tried to smile back but could tell I was just giving grimace. Mulberry handed me his whisky and soda. I finished it off.
The ice cubes danced in my empty glass. Then we were suddenly out of the clouds. Below us the ocean was close, steel blue with white caps cresting each wave. The city's skyscrapers looked like towers of mercury in the storm's eerie light. Raindrops clung to my window, streaking across it as our speed pushed them aside.
Hugh was somewhere down there in that city, a flat landscape made multi-dimensional through the efforts of man. My stomach lurched as we dropped through the air, my seat belt pressing into me. Blue whined softly and flattened himself even further onto the floor of the plane.
A giant of a dog, Blue has the coat of a wolf, the snout of a Collie, with one brown eye and one blue. Both of which were trained on me at that moment. My fear was freaking him out. Closing my eyes, I tried to imagine the turbulence as a gentle rocking but it didn't work. An ice cube jumped out of my glass landing on the carpeting. Blue, his belly still flat on the ground, inched his way toward it, then his tongue stretched out and pulled the cube into his mouth. He crunched twice before looking back up at me, now hoping for more whisky-flavored ice. I couldn't help but smile at the expectant look on his fuzzy face.
We touched down with a jerk that sent my heart racing one more time. But as we slowly taxied toward our hangar the storm seemed suddenly minor. Just a breath of wind fluttered across the puddles, turning them into shimmering mirrors framed by the dark tarmac.
"All right Ms. Rye," our captain's voice came back on over the loudspeaker. "Sorry about that descent, but we got you here safe. Thanks for flying with us, I hope we'll have you back real soon."
As soon as humanly possible. I didn't want to be here, but Hugh was in trouble, and if there was one person I cared about in this world it was him.
He was a tie to my murdered brother, a shared memory bank. I would do anything to help Hugh.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
Downburst
Seeking answers to her father's death.
Hatch finds herself in a small town outside of Las Cruses, New Mexico.
Controlled by a vicious street gang.
A family caught in the crossfire.
Hatch sets out to make things right.
Drift
THEY KILLED THE WRONG GIRL. RACHEL HATCH WILL MAKE THEM PAY.
USA TODAY & Amazon 2-million copy bestselling author L.T. RYAN has teamed up with police detective Brian Shea for this debut novel in the gripping Rachel Hatch mystery thriller series. Ex-Army criminal investigator Rachel Hatch is a drifter. No home. No commitments. Until her sister's drowning drags her back to the town she left fifteen years ago. Convinced her sister's death was no accident, Hatch partners with the local sheriff, Dalton Savage to uncover the truth. Every answer unlocks another question, and as the investigation begins to unravel, Hatch and Savage find their lives on the line. Hatch is forced to use her special set of skills - forged on the field of combat - to learn the truth about her sister and bring those responsible to justice. The first novel in one of the most highly-anticipated collaborative series this decade, DRIFT is a tightly woven story, with deeply-developed and endearing characters that will have you rooting for them at every turn, set at an exhilarating pace that will keep you turning pages late into the night.Eternal Deception
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.
Family Jewels: Rose Gardner Investigations #1
Fatal Betrayal
"Barbara Freethy's suspense novels are explosively good!" - New York Times Bestselling Author Toni Anderson
Haunted by a youthful tragedy, FBI Agent Andi Hart specializes in finding missing children, but her latest case throws her off her game when she discovers her former childhood friend turned bitter enemy has been called in to consult.
Eighteen years ago, Cooper Bradford was with Andi the night a toddler disappeared from their neighborhood. He wanted to find the kid as much as Andi did, but her amateur sleuthing turned the focus on his older brother and destroyed his family. Since then, Cooper has made it his life mission to fight for the falsely accused and has become an enemy of law enforcement.
With a child's life on the line, Andi and Cooper must put aside the emotional fall-out from their once strong bond and work together. But the tension between them reaches a boiling point when they uncover something far more sinister than they ever imagined and a shocking connection to their past. Suddenly nothing is what they thought it was...
Can Andi trust Cooper to have her back, and can he trust her to have his? The answer to that question could mean the difference between life and death.
This heart-pumping, romantic and suspenseful novel from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy will keep you guessing until the very end!
Note: Every book in the Off The Grid: FBI Series stands completely on its own and there are no cliffhangers! The books feature complex and exciting storylines ranging from kidnapping to organized crime, terrorism, and espionage. Personal stories often play out against a bigger, broader storyline, and surprising twists will keep you up all night. Start reading today!
What the readers are saying...
"What I love about a Barbara Freethy story is that it feels like you are going on a big roller coaster ride. The ascent is slow because you are getting ready for what's to come, however, once you reach the top, it is fast, twisty turns, unexpected loops and there is a rush to the finish line. Buckle up as this is a good ride." Debbie on FATAL BETRAYAL
"Count on Freethy to scare up a mind bender of a mystery. Fatal Betrayal is a thrilling dance with danger, heartache, and hope. With raw emotion and edge of your seat intrigue, Freethy keeps readers guessing and hearts racing until the bitter end." Isha - BookBub
"This book will have you on the edge of your seat and not wanting to put it down until you've read the very last word. It's filled with suspense, romance, family and a twist you don't see coming." Cindy - Goodreads
"I write this sleep deprived as I stayed up half the night reading this amazing book. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn't put it down. Barbara is terrific at weaving an engaging, action-packed, suspenseful, and emotional romance mystery." Sandra - Goodreads
"Barbara Freethy is a master at romantic suspense, and this latest book in her Off the Grid: FBI series attests to that! Wow! Fast-paced, page-turner, intense, twists and turns. There's also drama, living with and getting past old hurts and misunderstandings, romance, and lots of emotion. I loved it! I was hooked from the first page!" Kristen - Goodreads
Fatal Breach
As I leave captivity and step into the bright sun-filled day, a wave of relief washes over me. I am not free yet, though. Walking between barbed wire topped walls toward the exit gate, I breathe in fresh air, preparing for the next challenge. An enemy posing as a lover waits for me.
I will evade him, though.
Robert Maxim meets me at the prison gate, his smile predatory and victorious. I blank my mind. If I think about my plan, Robert will see it on my face. He expects me to do something--it's part of the fun for him.
Is this fun for me, too?
His hand cups my upper arm as he bends to brush a kiss against my cheek. Robert's scent engulfs me: low notes of sandalwood and fine leather balanced by a sharp tang of cold metal.
"You look lovely," Robert says.
I'm wearing lightweight black cargo pants, unbuttoned to make room for my growing pregnancy, and tucked into my boots which are laced tight at my ankles--they keep spiders out when in the jungle. Under the parka that Special Agent Consuela Sanchez gave me when we flew back to the States all I have on is a thin tank top. It's cold here in DC, not so much in Costa Rica.
Robert is wearing a camel hair overcoat a few shades yellower than the copper in his beard. The collar is pulled up and his cheeks are tinged pink from the cold. A soft wind plays with his dark hair gone silver at the temples.
Behind Robert, a black SUV with tinted windows idles. Brock, his head of personal security opens the back door. Brock is big and broad with weathered skin the color of brushed brass. His dark coat captures the sunlight, seeming to hide it somewhere it will never be found.
"Good to have you back, Ms. Rye," Brock says as I get into the back seat.
"Thanks, Brock. It's good to be back." Robert joins me. "Where are we going?" I ask. "To my apartment?"
Robert smiles. "Yes."
When Robert faked his own death he really went the extra mile by leaving me most of his worldly possessions, including his apartment in Washington DC. Now that he is forcing me to marry him to avoid prosecution--a husband can choose not to testify against his wife--he'll be getting his wealth back.
"I may need you to sign a prenup," I say. "You realize I'm a very wealthy woman."
Robert laughs as we merge onto the highway. "Your wish is my command."
"Yeah, right," I grumble, looking out the window. The industrial area we're leaving slides by in a smear of speed.
Robert captures my hand, pulling it into his lap. "Sydney," his voice is serious and I turn to look at him. "I recognize this isn't what you wanted."
I huff a laugh. "You're so observant Robert, was it the threat of giving birth in prison, or just the regular old forcing me to marry you?" I hold my chin with my free hand, pretending to be really thinking. "I wonder if I'm being triggered by the fact that you're treating me like an object rather than a person."
"Sydney," his voice is lower now, a warning. I have to look away to keep the thoughts bubbling up in my mind hidden from him.
You will learn that I am not an object. Only a thinking, feeling, sentient being can ruin you the way I plan to.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
Flock of Wolves
I should be the one dying.
I should be dead.
The doctor flashed her penlight into my eyes, and I blinked against the bright ray. My dog Blue sat on the floor next to me, his head resting on my knee. My fingers curled around the edge of the exam table, gripping onto the seat, hoping I could hold onto reality.
Robert Maxim stood by the door, his arms crossed and face shadowed. He watched us, reminding me of a simmering pot, one just on the cusp of a rolling boil.
The sound of thunder rumbled in the back of my brain. The stringent scent of the hospital tickled my nose. My heart echoed in my chest, pounding out Mulberry's name.
He'd changed my life, Mulberry-helped me when I needed it and when I didn't. Touched me when I asked and stayed away when I insisted. Now, if my mind was to be believed, his life teetered on the edge, his leg blown off, the veins opened, his blood spilled onto the battlefield, rushing away from him.
The doctor stepped back, a woman in her early 40s with straight black hair and big glasses that slipped down her elegant little nose. "You've suffered major trauma."
Thanks Captain Obvious.
"I think..." She cocked her head, narrowing her eyes, inspecting me like a gardener might a plant that refused to grow toward the sun. "We need to get you back to the States." She turned to Robert.
Thunder rumbled louder, crackling in my ears and blotting out her voice. Lightning sizzled across my vision, and I blinked against the bright, white light.
A woman's voice whispered through the storm...You are a miracle.
I shook my head, trying to shake free of the hallucinations, but they clung to me like fog hovering over a harbor-thick and dangerous, but intangible, impossible to touch or avoid. There and yet not.
Had my worst nightmare really come true? Mulberry, the man I loved, in dire danger. Me, powerless to help.
I stayed away to keep him safe.Everyone I love dies.
P.S. The dog does not die in this series.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
About the Author
Emily Kimelman not only writes adventure, she lives it every day. Embodying the true meaning of wanderlust, she's written her Sydney Rye mysteries from all over the world. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the mountains of Spain, she finds inspiration for her stories in her own life. While living under communist rule in the former Soviet Union, the KGB sprinkled her with "spy dust", a radioactive concoction that made her glow and left a trail they could follow. She was two. She was destined for amazing things after that, and she continues to find adventure to inspire characters like the badass Sydney Rye. Download the first Sydney Rye Thriller, Unleashed, for FREE on all major ebook platforms and join the adventure!
For the Birds: Rose Gardner Investigations #2
Free From Sin
2022 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards Honorable Mention - Psychological Thriller Fiction
“...impossible to put down.... A truly unmissable read.” —K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Free From Sin is a gripping psychological crime thriller/mystery story about the intertwining lives of three unlikely women in the hills of Kentucky, and the explosive results when a troubled teenager has her day of reckoning.
Sheriff Sadie Mills navigates the challenges of single motherhood while solving crimes in the rural community of Possum Gap, Kentucky. The recent trailer shootings in her jurisdiction have her on edge, and the new coroner, a Yankee transplant from the east coast, is still adjusting to life in the wilderness when all hell breaks loose. Cases stemming from an out-of-control hillbilly clan, sex trafficking, and a murder in the nearby Amish community collide, and Sheriff Mills finds herself in a race to stop a serial killer before they strike again.
Lucinda Coblentz is a devoted wife, mother, and member of a strict religious order. Her kind and generous ways make her the perfect target of a master manipulator and has put her beloved family in grave danger. Can she make matters right before it's too late?
More Reviews:
“This exciting psychological thriller adds a human dimension to a hard-nosed crime story…. Readers who relish strong female leads will enjoy this suspenseful but nuanced crime novel…. Great for fans of Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series, Vannetta Chapman’s Shipshewana Amish Mystery series, Chris Offutt’s The Killing Hills.” —BookLife
“Free From Sin is a gentle (if a murder/mystery can be termed such a thing) and beguiling story that takes the reader right into the redneck backcountry that is the hills of Kentucky…. This is a simple, yet immensely satisfying read and one I can highly recommend.” —Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
“…a suspenseful crime novel. The characters feel authentic and deal with everyday problems that make them and the story surrounding them genuine...” —Delene Vrey for Readers' Favorite
“I loved this book!” —Liz's Book Reviews
Author Bio:
Karen Ann Hopkins writes Amish fiction, mysteries, YA literature, paranormal, dystopian and romance for readers of all ages. She resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, sheep, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and farm animals, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.
Girl Found
While her missing sister's case hits a roadblock, Detective Kaitlyn Carr searches for a US Marine who has disappeared after a college student is found dead in his apartment.
Where is he? Did he kill her and run? And if so, why? Detective Kaitlyn Carr will stop at nothing to find out what happened.
The marine's father is certain that his son would never do anything to harm his friend. That's why he reported the murder and is doing his best to help Kaitlyn find his son. But will this be a regret that will haunt him for the rest of his life?
Back in her hometown of Big Bear Lake, Violet's disappearance is becoming a cold case. Everyone has been interviewed. All leads have been followed up on. Now what? Kaitlyn keeps trying. She can't give up.
Will Kaitlyn find out who killed the girl and find the marine before there's another murder?
Will Kaitlyn be able to find another lead to keep her sister's case open?
Girl Found is a suspenseful thriller perfect for fans of A. J. Rivers, Mary Stone, Willow Rose, James Patterson, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, Ella Gray, and Karin Slaughter. It has mystery, angst, a bit of romance and family drama.
Girl Lost
Detective Kaitlyn Carr's 13-year-old sister is still missing and now her friend has disappeared as well under very similar circumstances. The FBI is called to Big Bear Lake and the agent assigned to the case is none other than Luke Galvinson, a man from her past.
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Kaitlyn must investigate the case of a newlywed with a secret pregnancy who went missing after a business trip.
Her husband isn't very concerned. Why didn't he want to report her missing?Did she run away with someone else, did someone take her or worse?
Kaitlyn must not only split her time between these cases but also go further down the rabbit hole of the place she once called home.
Nothing is what it seems.
No one is who they are.
Everyone has a secret.
Can Kaitlyn uncover the truth in time to prevent another death?
Girl Lost is a suspenseful thriller perfect for fans of A. J. Rivers, Mary Stone, Willow Rose, James Patterson, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, Ella Gray, and Karin Slaughter. It has mystery, angst, a bit of romance and family drama.
Girl Missing
Don't lie to me...
A young girl from a wealthy family is found hanging from a tree in a secluded canyon.
What was she doing there in the middle of the night? How did she get there? Who did this to her? Detective Kaitlyn Carr is determined to find out and bring the killer to justice.
But when her thirteen-year-old sister vanishes on her way back from a friend's house, Kaitlyn must split her time and confront demons from her own past in order to bring her sister home.
The small mountain town of Big Bear Lake is only three hours away but a world away from her life in Los Angeles. It's the place she grew up and the place that's plagued her with lies, death and secrets.
As Kaitlyn digs deeper into both cases, she finds out that appearances are misleading and few things are what they seem.
A murderer is lurking in the shadows and the more of the mystery that Kaitlyn unspools the closer she gets to danger herself.
Can Kaitlyn find the killer and solve the mystery of her sister's disappearance before it's too late?
What happens when someone else is taken?
Girl Missing is a suspenseful thriller filled for fans of A. J. Rivers, Mary Stone, Willow Rose, James Patterson, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot, Ella Gray, and Karin Slaughter. It has mystery, angst, a bit of romance and family drama.
Girl With The Gun: Sydney Rye Mysteries #8
And I am not an artist.
I'm a killer.
Suds slipped down my body and gathered at my ankles before traveling in a flotilla to the drain. The white, iridescent bubbles jiggled as droplets of water crashed around them. They popped one by one, the mass sinking into the pipe as each bubble lost tension and let go.
I don't kill for pleasure, though there is some. Lady Justice is tantamount to my god. I serve her single-mindedly, but there is no blindfold. I am prejudiced, human...so human.
Would the world be safer with me under lock and key? One less terrorist wreaking havoc. Or more dangerous? One less soldier fighting for justice.
Blue barked. I looked through the fogged glass seeing nothing but gray shapes in the mist. He barked again and I turned the water off and opened the shower door, a cloud of steam coming with me into the room.
Another bark, a "hello," a "there is someone here," a "someone we trust" bark. Grabbing a towel I left the bathroom; making wet prints on the carpeting as I padded into the living room. Blue sat by the door, his large tail swishing back and forth.
He barked again, turning to look at me, his mismatched eyes bright with excitement. He pushed his large head against my hip, urging me toward the door with a soft whine.
Mulberry stood in the hallway, his broad shoulders taking up the width of the doorway. He wore a subdued yellow and green plaid shirt that brought out the same colors in his eyes. Silver and black stubble covered his jaw.
Blue pushed past me and wriggled his body against Mulberry's legs. The former New York detective broke his gaze from mine and looked down at my dog. He ruffled Blue's head. "Hey, boy."
"I wasn't expecting you."
Mulberry looked up at me, his hand still on Blue. "That's the first thing you say?"
"Hi." He smiled and gave off a little laugh. "I figured I'd stop by and see you. We left things a little ..."
"I thought I was pretty clear."
"I'm not sure it's up to you to decide."
"I'm not sure about having this conversation in a towel."
Mulberry raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you need it."
"Come in; I'll get dressed."
He followed me into the living room, clicking the door into place.
I dressed in a pair of dark indigo jeans and a white T-shirt, one of the few without any stains. Blue's tail wagged and his tongue lolled. "Don't look so excited," I told Blue before returning to the living room.
Mulberry waited on the couch. "You want a drink?"
"Sure." I crossed to the kitchenette and grabbed us each a sparkling water; cracking one open, it released a fizzing sound.
Mulberry came up behind me and placed his hand on my hip. I turned to him and opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head.
He stepped closer so our bodies brushed. His face was right above mine, his chin angled down, as I stared at his collarbones.
He fisted the short locks at the base of my skull and pulled gently so my chin rose and our lips touched. His kiss was achingly familiar and electrifyingly new. His smell brought back memories I was afraid to face.
The pain of my brother's murder lanced through me; the paleness of his skin, the vivid red of his blood as he died-the gaping wound his loss left in me.
Everybody I love ends up dead. And not some gentle kiss into the night. They leave this world in violence and suffering; they end in misery.
I couldn't watch Mulberry die. But did loving him and denying it hurt more than the grief I feared?P.S. The dog does not die.
Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.
Hidden in Plain Sight
When a cold case heats up, Serenity won't stop until she discovers the truth.
In the fourth installment of the bestselling Serenity's Plain Secrets' series, Serenity must work with US marshals to uncover the truth behind a shockingly brutal fifteen-year-cold murder.
Desperate for answers, Serenity finds herself in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where she unravels secrets that threaten to tear her and Daniel apart. But digging up the past is dangerous, and the quaint Amish settlement isn't as safe as it seems.
If Serenity chooses to trust the man she's come to love, it could mean a happily ever after...or her final act.
Author Bio:
Karen Ann Hopkins writes Amish fiction, mysteries, YA literature, paranormal, dystopian and romance for readers of all ages. She resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, sheep, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and farm animals, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.
In Sheep's Clothing
Animals had gotten to the corpse, tearing the flesh off the skeleton and exposing the bone. The man standing over the body, his green-blue gaze the same shade as Caribbean waters if they ever froze, stared into the empty eye sockets of his former employee. Bloody, torn flesh, ribboned by some bird, hung down the dead man's cheeks.
A breeze stirred the pine trees, their needles tapping against each other, whispering in a private conversation. Robert Maxim scanned the ground again, his gaze tracing the fight.
Blood was splattered in the dirt. A lot of it. Phillip had died slowly. He'd tried to pull the knife free, but the black, blood crusted handle still protruded from the dead man's throat. Philip's left forearm appeared particularly ravaged, probably from Sydney Rye's dog, Blue.
The sharpshooter's weapons were gone, unless you counted that knife in his neck.
Next to Philip, a depression in the dirt-the outline of a medium-sized woman punctuated with pools of blood-kept pulling Robert's attention.
Sydney Rye plunged the knife home and then fell over, succumbing to her own wounds. Which, judging by the amount of blood on the ground, were grave.
Robert turned slowly, observing every rock, stick, scuff and depression in the dirt.
Deep scratches marked where Blue leapt, his nails digging into the dirt as his back legs propelled him into the air. There were other dog prints, too. Not as large as Blue's, but far bigger than the common dogs found in this area, the contested territory along the Syrian-Iraqi border.
A tuft of white fur fluttered on a low branch. Bobby approached it slowly, carefully placing his booted feet where no clues lay. The fur was softer than Sydney's mutt's rough, wolf-like coat. Bobby pulled the white fluff off the branch and slipped it into his pocket.
Footsteps approached, soft thuds cushioned by pine needles. "Stay back." The intensity of Robert's emotions roughened his voice into a dangerous growl.
"That's our man there. Gotta pack him up, get him out of here. Animals are already getting to him," Conner said. Another sharpshooter who'd worked with Philip for years, Conner's bald head and scarred face made him look dangerous. And he was. Had Conner known that Philip took money to try to kill Sydney Rye?
"I need more time." Conner disappeared, silent and patient.
Robert crouched down and looked at the dirt. Goats. Goats had come through here after the fight.
Sydney Rye didn't get up and walk away. Someone carried her, and they managed not to leave a trail of blood. The bald tread of a homemade boot wound through the forest, the goat hooves obscuring all but the smallest trace.
Either a small man or tall woman, traveling with a dog and a herd of goats, had carried Sydney Rye away. Why?
Herders passed through here on their way from one village to another. The person must be under Daesh protection...or desperate. Why take a bleeding woman? That injured, she'd be useless, the amount of work to patch her up hardly worth the price. Unless, of course, this herder knew who Sydney Rye was.
And Robert Maxim would pay any price to get her back.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
About the Author
Emily Kimelman not only writes adventure, she lives it every day. Embodying the true meaning of wanderlust, she's written her Sydney Rye mysteries from all over the world. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the mountains of Spain, she finds inspiration for her stories in her own life. While living under communist rule in the former Soviet Union, the KGB sprinkled her with "spy dust", a radioactive concoction that made her glow and left a trail they could follow. She was two. She was destined for amazing things after that, and she continues to find adventure to inspire characters like the badass Sydney Rye.
Insatiable
How easy it is to forget we are all floating on molten lava...and tectonic shifts happen all the time...
Carlos was the one who felt my phone vibrating; it was under one of the napkins we'd used for our picnic lunch. I found it, and glancing quickly at the "UNKNOWN" on the caller ID, picked it up. While used to calls from unknown places, I was not used to calls from this guy.
"Sydney, how are you?"
I didn't recognize his voice right away. Rolling away from Carlos, I sat up. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who this is." It was when he laughed that I recognized him. "Robert Maxim?"
He laughed again. "I'm glad you remember me. My heart would be broken if I could be so easily forgotten."
I stood up, Carlos looked up at me, a question in his eyes. I shook my head and stepped away from our blanket. My dog, Blue, a huge wolf-like creature with one blue eye and one brown followed me, keeping at a heel. "Forget you, Bobby Maxim? In order to do that I'd need a lobotomy."
"With your penchant for revenge, I half expect to see you bursting through my closet doors some day, guns blazing."
I laughed. "Who says I'm not in there right now?"
"I know exactly where you are. I've been keeping very good track of you."
I looked around the park. Gentle green hills spotted with couples and groups of friends lounging on blankets dominated the landscape. On a field below me a soccer match was beginning to form. A woman ran by in a skin-tight suit, nothing on her jiggled.
"Are you here now?"
"No, no. I'm calling to ask a favor." Carlos waved, letting me know he was going to join the soccer game. I nodded back, forcing a smile onto my lips.
"I'm not doing you any favors," I said to Robert. "It seems you're not totally clear on the fact that you took something from me."
"Sydney, I don't understand this animosity. I was just doing you a favor."
"A favor!" My raised voice attracted the attention of several groups of Londoners trying to enjoy their first day of sun. "You bastard," I hissed quietly. "I hope you rot in hell."
"I'm sorry I didn't do it sooner, darling."
"You're insane!" I was yelling again. I took a deep breath. In through my nose, out through my mouth. Blue tapped his muzzle against my hip to let me know he was still there.
"Sydney, I didn't know what you two had planned. I would have killed Kurt long before you showed up. Remember, I'm not the one who left my fingerprints behind; whose blood was spilled all over the floor. You took yourself down, it had nothing to do with me." He said it in an off-hand way. Like I was being petty and missing the big picture.
"You killed him," I whispered, trying to control my anger, but I was shaking. "That was my right. Kurt Jessup murdered my brother and I should have been the one to end him."
"At the time I had no idea about that. Mulberry didn't tell me what you were planning, just that we had a problem. I had no intention of stifling your little revenge act. If anyone should be pissed it's me. At least you got the treasure."
I stood on the green feeling lightheaded. It was like Bobby Maxim was taking the world and flipping it upside down. "What are you talking about? Mulberry told you that?"
"Oh Cher, you didn't know?" Maxim's voice rose an octave, teasing and dripping with syrup.
A cold knowledge traveled from my toes right up to my brain.
My best friend betrayed me, our relationship was built on a lie.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
About the Author
Emily Kimelman not only writes adventure, she lives it every day. Embodying the true meaning of wanderlust, she's written her Sydney Rye mysteries from all over the world. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the mountains of Spain, she finds inspiration for her stories in her own life. While living under communist rule in the former Soviet Union, the KGB sprinkled her with "spy dust", a radioactive concoction that made her glow and left a trail they could follow. She was two. She was destined for amazing things after that, and she continues to find adventure to inspire characters like the badass Sydney Rye.
Inviting Fire
I woke up tangled in my sheets, Blue standing next to the bed, his eyes glowing green in the darkroom. He whined at me gently. "I'm okay," I told him. He pushed his nose against the mosquito net and whined again. "You don't think so?" I asked with a small laugh.
He circled around to the net's opening. I sat up and reached through, petting his head to reassure him. Blue was a giant of a dog with one brown eye and one blue. When I adopted him he was tall, the height of a Great Dane, but thin. Still a puppy really. The pound in Bushwick, Brooklyn thought he was about a year old at the time.
Over four years later, Blue looked very different. His coat, which had been ratty when I brought him home to my apartment in Park Slope, now shone in the soft light of my bedroom. He had the markings of a wolf. Black and white and beige all sharing space on his large form. His snout was long and made me think there was some collie in his ancestry. Blue's chest was broad and strong. The pink scars that marked the entrance and exit wounds from a bullet he took for me were hidden beneath his long coat.
My scars from that battle were more obvious. One ran under my left eye. White and pink, it arched across the top of my cheekbone, puckering the skin. Above that eye another scar, fainter than the first, ran across my forehead, slicing through my eyebrow and disappearing into my hair.
I wore my bangs long, covering the top scar. They almost reached to my gray eyes, but I made sure they never got in the way. My hair was dyed black and cut short, barely reaching my chin. The heat here was too much to bother with long locks.
I looked out the glass doors of my balcony and into the jungle. The sky was still dark, the foliage a pitch black mass. I heard the guttural roar of the howler monkeys and knew the sun would be here soon. Blue's nails clicked against the tile floor as he walked to the door.
Blue stared at me, then looked at the door, then to me again. "I get it," I said. "You want to go for a run." He lowered his front end, waving his tail around in the air and let out a low warble. Some things would never change.
Throwing off the sheet, I climbed through the opening of my mosquito net. The tiles were cool against my bare feet. I dressed quickly, Blue following me around the room, encouraging me by tapping his nose against my hip.
Sneakers tied, headlamp in place and phone in hand, I opened my bedroom door. The villa was dark. My house-mate, Cynthia Dawlings, was still in bed. The sky outside the glass was just turning a milky gray. As I closed the door behind me, another group of howler monkeys began their morning call.
As Blue and I started down the path toward the trails, I heard another group of monkeys start up in response to the ones in my yard. And then another, like a round robin of roars. The path we walked on was lit by low lights, yellow and solar powered. The air was moist and fresh-it carried a chill that wouldn't last long once the sun rose.
I passed other villas on my route. This was once an eco-resort. Now it was a training center for Joyful Justice, the stupidest named vigilante organization to ever blow stuff up. But no one asked me when they were naming it, even though I inspired the whole thing. They had it wrong-I am a monster, not a hero.
I don't care about justice; I crave revenge.P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**
About the Author
Emily Kimelman not only writes adventure, she lives it every day. Embodying the true meaning of wanderlust, she's written her Sydney Rye mysteries from all over the world. From the jungles of Costa Rica to the mountains of Spain, she finds inspiration for her stories in her own life. While living under communist rule in the former Soviet Union, the KGB sprinkled her with "spy dust", a radioactive concoction that made her glow and left a trail they could follow. She was two. She was destined for amazing things after that, and she continues to find adventure to inspire characters like the badass Sydney Rye.
It All Falls Down: Rose Gardner Investigations #7
Jacks Are Wild
Handsome, white knight, police officer Jack Stratton is back in this action-packed, thrilling adventure. When his sexy old flame disappears, no one thinks it's suspicious except Jack and one unbalanced witness. Jack feels in his gut that something is wrong. He knows that Marisa has a past, and if it ever caught up with her--it would be deadly. Determined to buck the critics and listen to his instincts, he and his feisty sidekick Alice (aka Replacement) plunge ahead and start tracking down leads, hoping to find Marisa in time. The trail leads them into all sorts of trouble--landing them smack in the middle of an all-out Mob war between the Italian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza. When evidence surfaces that Marisa was kidnapped, Jack must navigate through the warring parties, assassins, and cold-blooded hit men to outwit the cunning kidnappers before it is too late. As the body count rises, the stakes in this game are life and death--with no rules except one--Jacks are Wild.
If you love a strong hero, smart women sleuths, and more twists and turns than a piece of licorice - you have found your book
Jacks Are Wild is part of the Detective Jack Stratton Mystery Series, which has more than 3,000+ five-star reviews and over a million readers and counting. If you love a page-turning story with mystery, humor, and a dash of romance, pick up Jacks Are Wild today.
Novels featuring Detective Jack Stratton are all standalone and can be read in any order:
And Then She Was Gone
Girl Jacked
Jack Knifed
Jacks Are Wild
Jack and the Giant Killer
Data Jack
Just Holler Bloody Murder
“Here's a new kind of sleuth with an ecological bent and an unlikely sidekick, a sometimes tense, sometimes funny murder mystery with a touch of romance.” —P.B. Parris, author of Waltzing in the Attic and His Arms are Full of Broken Things
Callahan Banks returns to her beloved Timicau Island near Charleston, South Carolina, to settle her mother's estate. Her grief is compounded by Pepper Dade's plans to develop the island and destroy the only home she's ever known. When the body of a bikini-clad blonde washes up on the beach, Callahan is pulled into a web of intrigue that has her questioning all she thought she knew about her own life. Struggling to resist her attraction to Pepper, Callahan suspects he may be involved in the death of the blonde. She ignores her misgivings until nine-year-old, freckle-faced Harry Applegate, her sidekick, disappears. Now Callahan must muster all her skills as a naturalist and tracker to find the little boy before it's too late.
Author Bio:
Dershie McDevitt, a Wilma Dykeman Writing-Excellence Award Winner at UNC-Asheville, lives outside Asheville, North Carolina with her rescue dog, Sassafras, her opinionated calico cat, Orphan Annie, and her first and second husbands. Dershie and Larry, who have had the good fortune to have married each other twice, own a whimsical vacation home off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina on a buried island teeming with wildlife—the perfect setting for the fictional biology professor Callahan Banks to use her knowledge of nature to solve challenging mysteries.
Lamb to the Slaughter
“A well-crafted tale of murder begotten by the collision of two incompatible worlds.” —Kirkus
The death of a teenage Amish girl in a cornfield looks like an accident, but sheriff Serenity Adams suspects foul play. To solve the murder, she must investigate the nearby Amish community with the help of a man who was shunned years ago.
Lamb to the Slaughter is a story about the intertwining lives of three unlikely people in an Indiana Amish Community and the devastating results when a rebellious teenage girl is found shot to death in a corn field during the harvest.
Serenity Adams is the newly elected young sheriff in the country town of Blood Rock and besides dealing with the threatening behavior of her predecessor, she now has a dead Amish girl on her plate. At first glance, the case seems obvious. The poor girl was probably accidentally shot during hunting season, but when the elders of the Amish community and even the girl’s parents react with uncaring subdued behavior, Serenity becomes suspicious. As she delves deeper into the secretive community that she grew up beside, she discovers a gruesome crime from the past that may very well be related to the Amish girl’s shooting. Serenity enlists the help of the handsome bad-boy building contractor, Daniel Bachman, who left the Amish when he was nineteen and has his own dark reasons to help the spunky sheriff solve the crime that the family and friends who shunned him are trying desperately to cover up. Serenity’s persistence leads her to a stunning discovery that not only threatens to destroy her blossoming romance with Daniel, but may even take her life in the end.
Serenity enlists the help of the handsome bad-boy building contractor, Daniel Bachman. He left the Amish when he was nineteen and has his own dark reasons to help the spunky sheriff solve the crime that the family and friends who shunned him are trying desperately to cover up. Serenity's persistence leads her to a stunning discovery that not only threatens to destroy her blossoming romance with Daniel, but may even take her life in the end.
More Reviews:
“I would HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this one...I cannot wait for book two!” —Lose Time Reading
“This book HAD IT ALL!! Murder, mystery, forbidden romance and left you needing to read the next book in the series ASAP!! Loved this book!” —Curling Up With a Good Book
“From the prologue to the last chapters, Lamb to the Slaughter had me INSTANTLY HOOKED.” —Love-Life-Read
“The characters are COMPLEX and DIMENSIONAL, whether they have a large or smaller part to play in this story, and it really added such a richness that I enjoyed.” —Bewitched Bookworms Reviews
“Karen Ann Hopkins has delivered with Lamb to the Slaughter, and I am hoping for a lot more Serenity Adams mysteries in the future.” —Unabridged Bookshelf
“The mystery remains a mystery until the very end...and I highly enjoyed getting to know Serenity, Daniel and the secretive Amish community.” —The Book Swarm
“Lamb to the Slaughter is a MUST READ for fans of mystery novels. Karen Ann Hopkins made me a fan with her YA Temptation series, and she's made me an even bigger fan with this murder mystery.” —Actin Up With Books
“An INTRIGUING TALE full of mystery and suspense...Lamb to the Slaughter had me thinking and rethinking the entire time.” —I Read Indie!
“Simply put, Karen Ann Hopkins takes her readers to a new level of Amish fiction and suspense...” —Deitre Helvey Owens, Once Upon a Twilight
“Lamb to the Slaughter is a STUNNINGLY SUSPENSEFUL read that will have you flipping pages long after bedtime!” —Bittersweet Enchantment
Author Bio:
Karen Ann Hopkins writes Amish fiction, mysteries, YA literature, paranormal, dystopian and romance for readers of all ages. She resides in northern Kentucky with her family on a farm that boasts a menagerie of horses, goats, sheep, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, pigs, dogs, and cats. Karen rescues and fosters a variety of pets and farm animals, but she also finds time to give riding lessons, coach a youth equestrian drill team, and of course, write. She was inspired to create her first book, Temptation, by the Amish community she lives in. The experiential knowledge she gained through her interactions with her neighbors drove her to create the story of the star-crossed lovers, Rose and Noah.
Shop the Serenity’s Plain Secrets series
Last One To Know
“Barbara Freethy delivers riveting, plot-twisting suspense and a deeply emotional story. Every book is a thrilling ride.” —USA Today bestselling author, Rachel Grant
I was working at my sister's clothing boutique in Carmel when I got the call. The hospital told me that my mother had been shot and was in critical condition. This could be my last chance to see her, and I needed to go to San Francisco immediately.
I was stunned. Not just because of the horrific news, but also because my mother had died in a storm twenty years ago…
To find out the truth, I'll have to dive into the life of the woman in the hospital bed, into her past and mine. But as I get closer to the truth, the target moves from her to me…and suddenly her life isn't the only one on the line.
Author Bio:
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from Romance Writers of America. She has won the honor twice for her novels Daniel's Gift and The Way Back Home.
Little Girl Vanished
With a friend's child missing, and the police failing, disgraced ex-detective Harper enlists the aid of a former crime boss to untangle a mystery that strikes too close to home.
Disgraced, ex-detective Harper Adams is perfectly content wallowing at rock bottom. She's lost her job, house, and reputation, and it only gets worse when she's forced to move back home to Jackson Creek, Arkansas, the one place she swore she'd never return.
But everything changes when she gets chilling news. A childhood friend's daughter is missing...and it's eerily reminiscent of Harper's sister's kidnapping and murder two decades ago.
Not her business.
Except with the police fumbling the case at every turn, Harper realizes she might be the only one who can save the girl.
And she might need the help of James Malcolm, a former crime boss, to do it.