Crime and mystery: cosy mystery

Book SynopsisHollywood stars, sunshine, stabbings . . . New Jersey prosecutor turned LA family lawyer Sandy Moss is back with a bang in the second book in this fun, witty and fast-paced cosy legal mystery series.The last person family lawyer Sandy Moss expects to walk into her courtroom, right in the middle of a trial, is TV star Patrick McNabb: prime suspect in her first (and she hopes, last) murder case.Sandy knows what Patrick''s like. Friendly, overconfident, dazzlingly handsome . . . and a well-meaning menace. But his request seems harmless enough. His dear friend Cynthia is getting divorced, and he thinks Sandy''s perfect for the job. She accepts - because he''s Patrick and there is no denying him.But of course it''s not that simple. Soon Sandy''s tangled up in yet another murder - and Patrick, who''s currently playing a private detective on TV, believes he''s essential to solving the whole thing . . .Fast-paced, funny and larger than life, with a joy of a protagonist who could give Perry Mason a run for his money (Kirkus Reviews), JUDGMENT AT SANTA MONICA is a perfect escapist read and a great choice for fans of legal mysteries and TV shows.

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Book SynopsisAmerican Anglophile Dorothy Martin heads to the picturesque city of Victoria on Vancouver Island to investigate a series of petty crimes - that soon turn deadly.When Dorothy Martin and her ex-policeman husband Alan are asked by some good friends to look into a series of petty crimes that are perplexing the local Mounties in the picturesque Canadian city of Victoria, they immediately jump on a plane to British Columbia and settle themselves into the heart of the local community. Drinking champagne with the local businessman and would-be politician as well as cups of tea with the local recluse, they infiltrate all ranks of Victoria society. But when a young woman goes missing and a body is discovered, it would appear that the petty crimes have turned deadly. With their ability to get to the root of a crime and dig out the culprit, it''s not long before Dorothy and Alan realize they have embarked on a trip that will become far more dangerous than they eve

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Book SynopsisWhen a chilling discovery is made in one of the manor''s greenhouses, the Frog End villagers rely on the Colonel to reluctantly solve another baffling mystery.Following the untimely death of her mother, Ursula Swynford, Ruth Harvey has taken over the manor in Frog End, where she runs a successful plant-selling business and provides gardening therapy for an increasing number of her husband Dr Tom Harvey''s troubled patients: embittered Lawrence Deacon, lonely Joyce Reed, widowed Tanya Carberry and wheelchair-bound Johnny Turner, the young victim of a horrific motorbike crash.Gardening at the manor quickly becomes a much-needed lifeline for the group, and all seems to be going well - until the major stumbles across a body among the tomato plants in one of the greenhouses. Once again, the manor is the scene of a brutal murder - and, once again, the Colonel reluctantly finds himself drawn into solving the mystery.

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Book SynopsisThe brand-new hilariously quirky mystery in the long running Pennsylvania-Dutch series.Deciding that the PennDutch Inn needs to go more upmarket, Magdalena Yoder is delighted to welcome the Earl and Countess Grimsley-Snodgrass and their family as honoured guests, looking forward to the challenge of introducing English nobility to traditional American culture. But, as Magdalena is about to find out, the Grimsley-Snodgrasses are by no means the easiest of guests, and at the same time she has to contend with the discovery of a mummified corpse trapped in her elevator shaft.Then tragedy strikes during a traditional Pennsylvania-Dutch picnic at Stucky Ridge, when one of the Grimsley-Snodgrasses disappears over the edge of Lovers'' Leap. Did he fall - or was he pushed? And where is the body.?

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Book SynopsisEllie Quicke finds you can choose your friends but not your family.Poppy''s wealthy father hadn''t liked the look of the men whom his twin daughters intended to marry, and had set them up in the Magpie fashion boutique to ensure they would be able to support themselves, at the same time ensuring that the girls made a will in one another''s favour. The business prospered and expanded until, many years later, skeletons start to come out of the closet. Bodies too. And Ellie''s enquiries uncover a hornet''s nest of greed and malice combined with tragic secrets.

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Book SynopsisThe nineteenth installment of the beloved and New York Times bestselling Miss Julia seriesWith her husband Sam off on a trip to Europe, Miss Julia reckons it's about time to roll up her sleeves and be of some use to her community. It's then that she hears that the nosy do-gooder Madge Taylor and the new pastor Rucker are embarking on a mission to buy up the vacant house next door to Hazel Marie and establish a group home for wayward teenagers. No stranger to taking in the down-and-out herself, Miss Julia is shocked to learn Madge and the pastor are keeping the project a secret. When Miss Julia and Hazel Marie start investigating, though, they uncover a far less philanthropic plot for the house that even Madge doesn't know about--one that could change the quiet, peaceful neighborhood forever. Miss Julia must band together with friends and neighbors to take on nosy Madge and her steamrolling plans, while still being helpful to those in need in Miss Julia

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Book SynopsisJim Qwilleran''s latest commission is a piece on Junktown - a ghetto of antique dealers and collectors living in genteel decay. Enchanted by Junktown and its delightfully bohemian inhabitants, Qwill finds himself digs in the area, renting two rooms to share with his sleuthing Siamese companions Koko and Yum Yum. When his landlord C.C. Cobb, one of Junktown''s leading citizens, falls mysteriously to his death, Qwill''s famous whiskers begin to twitch. It''s only when Koko develops a passion for tape-recorders, to rival even that of his journalist mentor, that the vital clues begin to drop into place...

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Book SynopsisAfter five years of legal formalities in gossip-ridden Pickax, Jim Qwilleran has officially inherited the Klingenschoen fortune. In search of a summer''s peace, Qwill and his two Siamese cats head for the Potato Mountains. But Qwill finds controversy - one side of the valley is a haven for the descendants of Prohibition Moonshiners, the other home to developers eager to turn the Potatoes into a giant tourist trap. One of the Taters, as the locals are nicknamed, has been imprisoned for the murder of a millionaire developer, but Qwill is convinced the wrong man is in jail. Koko, Yum Yum and Qwill sniff out treachery amidst the pines...Trade ReviewPraise for the Cat Who... series:'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The Times;'This droll and engaging mystery...firmly grips the reader...a lively witty tale bolstered by sharply etched characters' Publishers Weekly;'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' Belfast Telegraph; 'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunnit' Liverpool Daily Post;'Mrs Braun has a breezy style; the cats are really smart' New York Times Book Review;'Great fun!' Lawrence Block'Entertaining and absorbing mysteries which, in the tradition of all good whodunnits, keep you guessing right to the end' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'Lilian Jackson Braun purveys delight from beginning to end' Los Angeles Times'Like news from Lake Woebegon, Braun's Cat Who... series...has charmed readers' Publishers Weekly'Light-hearted originals... The mix of crime and cats [is] catnip to readers who like both' Chicago Sun-Times'An offbeat series with a good deal of charm' The Baltimore Sun'Braun writes with charm and sureness' Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Book SynopsisPersuaded by his beloved companion to join her in a group tour of Scotland, Jim Qwilleran expects to revel in his Scottish heritage while keeping Polly Duncan safe from the Pickax Prowler. Instead, his trip is cut short when a thief swipes a suitcase, the bus driver disappears, and a fellow tourist is found dead - all in the same day. The distraught tour members return to Pickax, only to find the town in a tizz. And when village scuttlebut focuses on the bizarre behaviour of one of the tour''s surviving members, Qwill''s sensitive moustache tells him that more trouble is on the way.Trade ReviewPraise for the Cat Who... series:'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The Times;'This droll and engaging mystery...firmly grips the reader...a lively witty tale bolstered by sharply etched characters' Publishers Weekly;'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' Belfast Telegraph; 'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunnit' Liverpool Daily Post;'Mrs Braun has a breezy style; the cats are really smart' New York Times Book Review;'Great fun!' Lawrence Block'Entertaining and absorbing mysteries which, in the tradition of all good whodunnits, keep you guessing right to the end' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'Lilian Jackson Braun purveys delight from beginning to end' Los Angeles Times'Like news from Lake Woebegon, Braun's Cat Who... series...has charmed readers' Publishers Weekly'Light-hearted originals... The mix of crime and cats [is] catnip to readers who like both' Chicago Sun-Times'An offbeat series with a good deal of charm' The Baltimore Sun'Braun writes with charm and sureness' Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Book SynopsisJim Qwilleran and his sleuthing Siamese companions, Koko and Yum Yum, up sticks from their converted apple-barn home for the snowy winter months and move into the old Gage mansion. The house belongs to Junior Goodwinter''s grandma, Euphonia, and is full of commonplace treasures hidden in dusty closets - a curious cat''s heaven. Everything goes well until the phone rings announcing that Euphonia has been found dead at her new Florida home. The strange thing is that the apparently happy and healthy 88-year-old seems to have committed suicide.Trade ReviewPraise for the Cat Who... series:'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The Times;'This droll and engaging mystery...firmly grips the reader...a lively witty tale bolstered by sharply etched characters' Publishers Weekly;'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' Belfast Telegraph; 'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunnit' Liverpool Daily Post;'Mrs Braun has a breezy style; the cats are really smart' New York Times Book Review;'Great fun!' Lawrence Block'Entertaining and absorbing mysteries which, in the tradition of all good whodunnits, keep you guessing right to the end' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'Lilian Jackson Braun purveys delight from beginning to end' Los Angeles Times'Like news from Lake Woebegon, Braun's Cat Who... series...has charmed readers' Publishers Weekly'Light-hearted originals... The mix of crime and cats [is] catnip to readers who like both' Chicago Sun-Times'An offbeat series with a good deal of charm' The Baltimore Sun'Braun writes with charm and sureness' Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Book SynopsisDawn on a cold February morning and a mist hangs over Oxford, shrouding spires and domes. Feisty novelist Kate Ivory enjoys her early morning run with the (mainly) women''s jogging group. It gets her away from her word processor and she hears all the local gossip on the hoof. This morning, one of the women complains to Kate that her husband has walked out on her, taking with him the valuable antique enamel mourning-boxes given to her by her grandmother who - horrors - is coming to visit. The group plans to nick the boxes back again. How could they guess that their amateurish raid would provide the cover for a more sinister crime?

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Book SynopsisWhen novelist Kate Ivory is offered a special assignment by her friend at Oxford''s famous Bodleian Library, she decides to accept. For the University''s libraries have a serious problem: valuable books have been disappearing from their closely guarded collections. And Kate has to find out how. Then she begins to hear stories of an even more alarming disappearance of the year before - that of a young librarian subsequently found murdered. Could there be a connection?

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Book SynopsisSecrets won''t stay buried... Only now, twelve years after the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl, will Mitchell & Markby begin to unravel the mystery in Candle for a Corpse, Ann Granger''s eighth cosy Cotwolds crime novel in the Mitchell & Markby series. The perfect read for fans of Hamish McBeth, Agatha Christie and ITV''s Midsomer Murders.''Enjoyable crime featuring credible characters in a recognisably real world'' - Belfast Telegraph On an unseasonably chilly summer''s day a macabre discovery is made in Bamford''s ancient churchyard. A body, dead some twelve years, is unearthed in the Gresham family plot, too shallowly buried to be a legitimate interment, too recent to be the last Gresham officially laid to rest. Superintendent Alan Markby cannot resist the challenge to solve this twelve-year-old crime and suddenly his long-planned canal-barge holiday with Meredith Mitchell is in serious jeopardy. When t

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Book SynopsisThe Great Food Explo is scheduled to open in Pickax with a bang, introducing new restaurants, country inns and food speciality shops. Unfortunately the ''bang'' takes the form of a bomb which wrecks a hotel, killing the housekeeper and causing extensive damage. Enter Qwill and his Siamese cats, Koko and Yum Yum, whose instincts tell them that the murderous bomb was meant as something stronger than a warning to someone.While Qwill searches for clues, a possible witness to the bombing surfaces - who is shot to death before he can be questioned. But Qwill, Koko and Yum Yum are on the case...Trade ReviewPraise for the Cat Who... series:'The fastidious plotting is designed to appeal to more than just the cat-lover' The Times;'This droll and engaging mystery...firmly grips the reader...a lively witty tale bolstered by sharply etched characters' Publishers Weekly;'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' Belfast Telegraph; 'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunnit' Liverpool Daily Post;'Mrs Braun has a breezy style; the cats are really smart' New York Times Book Review;'Great fun!' Lawrence Block'Entertaining and absorbing mysteries which, in the tradition of all good whodunnits, keep you guessing right to the end' Dumfries and Galloway Standard'Lilian Jackson Braun purveys delight from beginning to end' Los Angeles Times'Like news from Lake Woebegon, Braun's Cat Who... series...has charmed readers' Publishers Weekly'Light-hearted originals... The mix of crime and cats [is] catnip to readers who like both' Chicago Sun-Times'An offbeat series with a good deal of charm' The Baltimore Sun'Braun writes with charm and sureness' Cleveland Plain Dealer

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Book SynopsisWhen novelist Kate Ivory first meets Dr Olivia Blacket, an academic at Leicester College, Oxford, the atmosphere is far from amicable. Olivia refuses to show Kate the fascinating material she is researching, even though it concerns the same literary figure that Kate is writing about. Determined to nose out the scandals that could provide her with a bestseller, Kate discovers a darker side to Dr Blacket. What are the strange obsessions that haunt her? What is her relationship with Kate''s boyfriend Liam? And most of all, who would want to murder her? When Dr Blacket is murdered, Liam''s name heads the list of suspects, but Kate thinks a bizarre ''family'' of civilised squatters - four men guarding a blank-faced girl - might have something to hide. Can Kate unravel the truth and prove Liam''s innocence?

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Book SynopsisChristopher Townsend, Development Officer of Bartlemas College, was reportedly drunk when he plunged from the top of the Tower of Grace. His tragic death does, however, lead to an offer of work for novelist Kate Ivory - finishing Townsend''s preparations for the ''Gender and Genre'' study fortnight. Kate is doing Bartlemas a favour by taking his place - so why do her new colleagues seem so hostile towards her? And who left the note on one of Christopher''s files which reads CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT? When Kate receives some threatening messages of her own, she begins to wonder if Christopher''s death was an accident after all. Perhaps he had stumbled on to something he shouldn''t have. And perhaps, by stepping into his shoes, Kate has now put her own life in terrible danger...

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Book SynopsisLeading a double life can be deadly...Lawyer Penhallow is found murdered in his garden the morning after Mitchell drops off a secretive hitchhiker to the property in Call the Dead Again, the eleventh compelling English village mystery in the Mitchell & Markby series by Ann Granger. The perfect read for fans of Colin Dexter, Agatha Christie and ITV''s Midsomer Murders.''A really good read - this novel comes highly recommended'' - Crime Time When Meredith Mitchell picks up a hitchhiker on a lonely road outside Bamford one evening she is left feeling distinctly uneasy. What business can this confident, yet secretive, young woman have at Tudor Lodge, the beautiful old home of Brussels-based lawyer Andrew Penhallow, where she asks to be dropped? Penhallow is constantly toing and froing from the Continent, but that night, unusually, he is at home, and - with his son away and his wife Carla in bed with a migraine - alone. Which is Trade Review'A really good read - this novel comes highly recommended' Crime Time

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Book SynopsisNovelist Kate Ivory is used to receiving letters, each week, from her readers. But when she receives a package containing a gold knot-ring, with no explanatory note, she is more than a little bemused.A phone call from her publicist, however, soon banishes any worries to the back of Kate''s mind, as she prepares to embark on a bookshop tour to promote her new novel. Joining Kate on the tour is Devlin Hayle, author of a series of romantic bodice-rippers and bearer of the title ''The Man Who Understands A Woman''s Heart''. But her companion seems to have a talent for producing mayhem wherever he goes. It soon becomes clear that Devlin has a hidden agenda for the tour, and Kate herself seems to be developing a habit of attracting the wrong sort of people...Trade ReviewThe reissue of the fifth novel in Veronica Stallwood's highly acclaimed Oxford series, which proves that 'there is life after Colin Dexter' The Times

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Book SynopsisIn order to come to terms with the death of a close friend, Kate Ivory has escaped Oxford and found sanctuary in a friend''s cottage a few miles away. Here, in the peace of the countryside, she hopes to find inspiration for her next novel. However, shortly after Kate''s arrival at the cottage, her gardener, Donna, is found dead in mysterious circumstances and Kate is reluctantly drawn into an investigation. Unconvinced by the official police verdict, she starts to uncover the feuds and illegal goings-on behind the genteel village façades. There is plenty of gossip, and everyone has a theory about Donna''s death, but Kate must relinquish her exile and return to Oxford before she can discover the truth.Trade ReviewThe reissue of the sixth novel in Veronica Stallwood's highly acclaimed Oxford series, which proves that 'there is life after Colin Dexter' The Times

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Book SynopsisOxfordshire appeared to be a haven of safety for many children sent away from the bombs falling on London in 1944, but for 10-year-old Chris Barnes, the result was death. Over 50 years later, novelist Kate Ivory, searching for material for her latest historical romance, uncovers Chris''s tragic tale. Amongst piles of old papers in the attic of the house she shares with her partner, George, she finds the child''s diary and a haunting photograph of a face she cannot forget. Kate determines to uncover the mystery surrounding Chris''s death, but George''s family appears to be implicated - and Kate is faced with an impossible choice...Trade Review'Stallwood's speciality is adroit plotting set in a vividly realised Oxford locale, and this is vintage stuff' The TimesStallwood continues to demonstrate that there is life after Colin Dexter with an Oxford crime series every bit as civilised as the Morse books... Stallwood's speciality is adroit plotting set in a vividly realised Oxford locale, and this is vintage stuff * THE TIMES *`Stallwood delves into chilling psychology' * INDEPENDENT *`Stallwood delves into chilling psychology' IndependentEntertaining * OXFORD TIMES *'Entertaining' Oxford TimesOXFORD SHIFT:'Gives Colin Dexter a run for his money among the dreaming spires... Stallwood has fought her way to the top of the tree in British crime writing with some arrestingly written thrillers' The TimesTHE RAINBOW SIGN:'A haunting and atmospheric piece...Stallwood has fought her way to the top of the tree in British crime writing with some arrestingly writen thrillers' The Times'Veronica Stallwood has come up with another first-class page-turner' Oxford Mail'The Rainbow Sign is a thriller that can't be faulted... Breath-taking descriptions of a desert country eclipsed only by Stallwood's insight into people's minds. The plot, sensed rather than seen, unfolds page by page, alluring and tantalising' Shots'An elegiac mystery' Scotsman'A breakthrough novel...A deceptive and atmospheric tale of British crime' Time OutPrevious:'Veronica Stallwood has come up with another first-class page-turner' Oxford Mail'Stallwood is in the top rank of crime writers' Daily Telegraph'Not only plausible, but in my view, absolutely compelling' Scotsman 'Novelist Kate Ivory snoops with intelligence, wit and some nice insights' The Times 'One of the cleverest of the year's crop [with] a flesh-and-brains heroine' Observer

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Book Synopsis''Frances Brody has made it to the top rank of crime writers'' Daily MailA pawn-shop robberyIt''s no rest for the wicked as Kate Shackleton picks up her second professional sleuthing case. But exposing the culprit of a pawn-shop robbery turns sinister when her investigation takes her to Harrogate - and murder is only one step behind.A fatal stabbingA night at the theatre should have been just what the doctor ordered, until Kate stumbles across a body in the doorway. The knife sticking out of its chest definitely suggests a killer in the theatre''s midst. A ransom demandKate likes nothing better than solving mysteries. So when a ransom note demands 1,000 for the safe return of the play''s leading lady, the refined streets of Harrogate play host to Kate''s skills in piecing together clues - and luring criminals out of their lairs . . .***A Medal For Murder is the s

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Book SynopsisTensions are running high at Bartlemas College, Oxford. Daisy Tompkins, a bright, attractive student has put in a formal complaint about her tutor, the odd and unpopular Joseph Fechan. Faith Beeton, the Dean of Women Students, is asked to investigate but, for all his oddities, Joseph is a friend of hers, so she turns to her friend, novelist Kate Ivory, for an impartial opinion. Kate, who is busy trying to put the recent traumatic events in Agatha Street behind her and settle into her new home, is reluctant to become involved in yet another battle in the political war raging at Bartlemas. But then Daisy is murdered. Although Fechan is the obvious suspect, Faith still believes he is innocent and, once again, Kate is drawn unwillingly into the search for the truth...

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Book SynopsisLife in tiny Lake Eden, Minnesota, is usually pleasantly uneventful. But with the upcoming trial for her involvement in a tragic accident, Hannah Swensen hardly has time to think about her bakery--let alone the town's most recent murder. . .Hannah is eager to clear her name once and for all, but her troubles only double when she finds the judge bludgeoned to death with his own gavel--and Hannah is the number one suspect. Now on trial in the court of public opinion, she sets out in search of the culprit and discovers that the judge made more than a few enemies during his career. With time running out, Hannah will have to whip up her most clever recipe yet to find a killer more elusive than the perfect brownie. . .Features over a dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!

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Book SynopsisSummer has come to Busman''s Harbor, Maine, and tourists are lining up for a taste of authentic New England seafood, courtesy of the Snowden Family Clambake Company. But there''s something sinister on the boil this season. A killer has crashed a wedding party, adding mystery to the menu at the worst possible moment. . .Julia Snowden returned to her hometown to rescue her family''s struggling clambake business--not to solve crimes. But that was before a catered wedding on picturesque Morrow Island turned into a reception for murder. When the best man''s corpse is found hanging from the grand staircase in the Snowden family mansion, Julia must put the chowder pot on the back burner and join the search for the killer. And with suspicion falling on her old crush, Chris Durand, the recipe for saving her business and salvaging her love life might be one and the same. . .Includes Traditional Maine Clambake Recipes!A tasty whodunnit with a real Maine twist. --Sarah Graves, author of A Bat in the BelfryMore Advance Praise For Clammed Up!If you like seafood and salty air, you''ll love Clammed Up. A tasty tale that will have readers clamoring for second helpings. --Leslie Meier, author of Easter Bunny Murder Take lobster, clams, and an ear of corn. Add one murder. Fold in a complex heroine, an assortment of colorful suspects, and a plot with lots of twists and turns. Heat up on an island off the coast of Maine. The result? Clammed Up contains just the right amounts of all the best ingredients to provide mystery readers with a tasty treat. --Kaitlyn Dunnett, author of Vampires, Bones, and Treacle Scones

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Book SynopsisAllie McMurphy is busy making yummy fudge for the summer holiday--until murder gives her something else to chew on. . .Red, White, And BoomIt's not Fourth of July on Mackinac Island without fireworks and fudge. The Historic McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop is supplying the treats--and Allie has hired Rodney Rivers, the biggest name in aerial displays, to create an unforgettable spectacle. Unfortunately, Allie finds him dead, covered with screaming chicken fireworks, just before the entire warehouse of pyrotechnics goes up in smoke. Is it arson or is it murder? Allie and her bichonpoo, Mal, must sift through the suspects until the killer is caught and the island can enjoy a star-spangled celebration.

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Book SynopsisPersuaded by Mrs. Bennet to sponsor a London social season for Elizabeth's sister Kitty, the Darcys reluctantly return to the glittering ballrooms and parlors of the fashionable world. There Kitty meets Harry Dashwood, the handsome young owner of Norland, and they quickly fall in love. But for the Bennet sisters, it seems the course of...

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Book SynopsisEast End landlady Mrs Drabdump is alarmed when she cannot rouse her lodger Arthur Constant. She summons the assistance of her neighbour, retired Scotland Yard detective George Grodman. He breaks down the door to Constant's room, only to find the man lying dead on his bed, with a deep cut to his throat. No-one, it seems, could have got...

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Book SynopsisInternational bestselling author TESS GERRITSEN began to write fiction whilst on maternity leave as a physician. She published her first novel in 1987 and has since sold over forty million copies of her books in forty countries.Her series featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the television series Rizzoli and Isles, starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.Now retired from medicine, she lives in Maine and writes full time.Trade ReviewPowerful, resonant, absorbing, freighted with menace and suspense . . .Gerritsen is a born storyteller, and this new series showcases her talents more than ever. Irresistible and highly recommended! * Lee Child *I loved it. A hugely entertaining read! * Ann Cleeves, No.1 bestselling author and creator of Vera and Shetland *The Spy Coast is a marvellously plotted read with action-packed pages, G-force twists and turns, and a platoon of fascinating characters.I truly hope to see Maggie Bird and her team of silver-haired helpers on the pages again. * David Baldacci *A riveting tale filled with engaging characters. I look forward to the rest of the series. * Kathy Reichs *A nice take on retirement-five old spooks whose bones may ache but whose minds remain sharp. You can expect mystery, action, and bloodshed in this exciting thriller * Kirkus (starred review) *Compelling reading throughout, with astute characterizations, a fast-moving but understandable spy plot, and lashings of dark humor. Gerritsen fans and readers of Richard Osman’s Thursday Murder Club mysteries will love this * Booklist (starred review) *Amusing and exciting . . . Maggie and her grey-haired tribe are more than capable of helming a long-running series * Publishers Weekly *The Spy Coast is The Thursday Murder Club on steroids * SAGA magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe seventh Birder Murder Mystery. Some crimes are beyond the reach of the law.Trade ReviewPraise for the Birder Murder Mysteries: ‘A murder plot built around birdwatching doesn’t, at first, seem plausible or even possible. But Burrows pulls it off... Riveting from first page to final line.’ Globe and Mail ‘A suspenseful and well-crafted mystery perfect for the beach.’ Morning Star ‘Skillfully written, full of moral ambiguities and artful puzzles, with a spine-tingling final sentence.’ Kirkus, starred review'This is a novel I could not put down. The clever, complex plot twists kept me reading long into the night. I loved the writing style and his skill at creating characters - I could feel their frustrations and share their concerns. Highly recommended.' -- Mystery People

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Book Synopsis''Full of twists, the emphasis is on comedy . . . but the extraordinary Holmes can pull the heartstrings too.'' THE TIMESThe McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts - a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder where earnest students study how best to delete their most deserving victim.Who hasn''t wondered for a split second what the world would be like the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you''ve probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death.The campus of this Poison Ivy League college-its location unknown to even those who study there-is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate...and where one''s mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.Prepare for an education you''ll never forget. A delightful mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you''ll ever read.''A case study in the droll amusements of homicide, Rupert Holmes''s send-up of higher education and even higher crimes and misdemeanors will keep you up at night-alternately turning pages and checking to make sure the front door is locked.'' Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked''With dry humor and an eye for hidden clues, Rupert Holmes imagines a secret Hogwarts-like school that teaches the fine art of pulling off the perfect (and perfectly deserved) murder. An utterly creative and deliciously diabolical read.'' Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author''A college with a degree in Homicide? Only Rupert Holmes could make murder laugh-out-loud funny. This book isn''t clever-it''s fiendishly clever. And the twists and tricks and endless surprises make me want to sign up for another semester!'' R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps and Fear StreetTrade ReviewAlthough this beautifully designed DIY manual is full of twists, the emphasis is on comedy . . . but the extraordinary Holmes can pull the heartstrings too. * THE TIMES *A funny, fast-paced, flip-the-playbook mystery in which three ordinary citizens are trained in murder on a luxurious hidden estate . . . a fantasy academy laid out like a combination of Hogwarts, Downton Abbey, and a White Lotus-style resort. . . . Holmes can clearly do anything. * THE LOS ANGELES TIMES *How has no one thought of this before? Murders set at an imaginary academy set up to train murderers . . . Holmes delights in wordplay that includes puns, literary terms, cultural references, and twists. . . . As Holmes takes hairpin turns from irony back to sincerity for his three McMasters pupils, his zany storytelling will delight fans of The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett, all Sherlock Holmes stories, and even those who love tales of arcane and Gothic institutions. * NPR *

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Book SynopsisDesperate times lead to hasty vows . . .A gripping historical mystery of secrets and romance - perfect for fans of Eve Chase, Louise Douglas and Tracy Rees.''Expertly researched, vividly drawn, and so much fun! Five fabulous stars from me'' JENNI KEER on The House of Lost Wives......................................................For better. For worse. For the sake of her future. London 1815. Jenny''s father is dead. She needs to marry immediately to save her and her mother''s livelihood. A chance meeting presents the perfect candidate in the form of the enigmatic Erasmus Black. Gentleman, merchant, and if the rumours are to be believed, captain . . . But where does Erasmus slip away to in the dead of night? What secrets about her father''s business has he discovered? And was their meeting really just a convenient coincidence? Guided by her unique intuition, Je

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Book SynopsisThe third in a tasty series, Murder Lo Mein by Vivien Chien is a delight!Everyone agrees that the food at Ho-Lee Noodle House is deliciousunless it happens to be deadly. Lana Lee's stake in her family's Chinese restaurant is higher than ever now that she's been made manager. So when she enters Ho-Lee into Cleveland's Best Noodle Contest, Lana makes it her business to winat all costs. But when a local food critic receives a threatening note in a fortune cookie and is later found dead, face-down in a bowl of lo mein, all bets are off. . .Now, along with her sweet-and-sour boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau, Lana decides to take matters into her own hands and dig into the lives of everyone involved in the contest. But when she receives an ill-fated fortune, Lana realizes that in order to save the reputation of her restaurant, she needs to save herself first. . .Thoroughly entertaining...fun and delicious.

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Book SynopsisMake way for the long paw of the law as police officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit investigate a baffling new mystery in Bending the Paw, by Diane Kelly.A MURDER WITHOUT A BODY IS LIKE A DOG WITHOUT A BONE A bloodbath is a shocking new challenge for Megan and Brigit when Detective Audrey Jackson calls them to the scene of what could only be a brutal murder. But the one thing the nightmarish scene is missing is a victim. The frantic homeowner's husband is gone, seemingly without a traceand so is the money he was holding. Has a vicious killer committed what might just be the perfect crime? Meanwhile, it's hailing cats and dogs all over Fort Worth, and roofing contractors have descended on the city in droves. With plenty of damage and continuing storms, work delays are building up like so much runoff, but Megan is suspicious that one roofer may be a scam artist. Determined to leash every lawbreaker she and her K-9 par

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Book SynopsisMurder With a View is the third book in the delightful cozy mystery series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville, Tennessee-where the real estate market is to die for...A DREAM PROPERTYCarpenter Whitney Whitaker, her cousin Buck, and guard-cat Sawdust just scored a hot property near downtown Nashville in a tax sale. While the Music City Motor Court might not be much to look at now, the two plan to transform the motel's twelve units into six one-bedroom condominiums with popular mid-century styling. But surprises await when Whitney discovers a squatter living in Room 9 and her cat Sawdust uncovers a body in the bed next door.A LIVING NIGHTMAREThe murder victim is none other than Beckett Morgan, an up-and-coming country-western singing sensation who's taken Nashville by storm with his number-one hit Party in the Pasture. Beckett's left a long trail of broken promises and broken hearts, and the list of suspects seems endless. So d

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Book SynopsisThe novel that started it all, Murphy's Law, will delight readers old and new of this remarkable, bestselling series.Molly Murphy always knew she'd end up in trouble, just as her mother predicted. So, when she commits murder in self-defense, she flees her cherished Ireland, under cover of a false identity, for the anonymous shores of America. When she arrives in New York and sees the welcoming promise of freedom in the Statue of Liberty, Molly begins to breathe easier. But when a man is murdered on Ellis Island, a man Molly was seen arguing with, she becomes a prime suspect in the crime.If she can't clear her name, Molly will be sent back to Ireland, where the gallows await, so using her Irish charm and sharp wit, she escapes Ellis Island and sets out to find the wily killer on her own. Pounding the notorious streets of Hell's Kitchen and the Lower East Side, Molly undertakes a desperate mission to clear her name before her deadly past comes back to hau

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Book SynopsisDeath at High Tide is the delightful first installment in the Island Sisters series by Hannah Dennison, featuring two sisters who inherit an old hotel in the remote Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall and find it full of intrigue, danger, and romance.When Evie Mead's husband, Robert, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, a mysterious note is found among his possessions. It indicates that Evie may own the rights to an old hotel on Tregarrick Rock, one of the Isles of Scilly. Still grieving, Evie is inclined to leave the matter to the accountant to sort out. Her sister Margot, however, flown in from her glamorous career in LA, has other plans. Envisioning a luxurious weekend getaway, she goes right ahead and buys two ticketsone wayto Tregarrick.Once at the hotelused in its heyday to house detective novelists, and more fixer-upper than spa resort, after allEvie and Margot attempt to get to the bottom of things. But the foul-tem

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Book SynopsisSuper-fun. The Boston GlobeA Lefty Nominee for Best Mystery NovelAn Agatha Nominee for Best Contemporary Mystery NovelOne murder. Four impossibilities. A fake séance hides a very real crime.Secret Staircase Construction just finished their first project with Tempest Raj officially a part of the teama classic mystery novel-themed home interior. Their client is now ready to celebrate her new life without her cheating ex-husband, famous mystery author Corbin Colt. First up, a party, and Tempest and Grandpa Ash are invited to the exclusive mock séance to remove any trace of Corbin from the propertyfor good. It''s all lighthearted fun until Corbin''s dead body crashes the party.The only possible suspects are the eight people around the séance tablea circle of clasped hands that wasn''t broken. Suspicion quickly falls on Grandpa Ash, the only one with actual blood on him. To prove her beloved grandfather's innocence, Tempest must fi

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Book SynopsisWhere's that partridge in its pear tree?It's Christmas time in Caerphilly, VA, and nothing is going by the book. Meg Langslow is trying to be supportive of her husband, who's escalated his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production that includes their sons as Tiny Tim and the young Scrooge. But when the real Scrooge comes to towna famous actor who is known for his personal dramas off-stageMeg finds that her role as stage manager is a lot more than she bargained for. When Scrooge's inner demons and actual enemies catch up with him, it's up to Meg to solve a holiday murder mystery before the curtain comes down. . .and the killer takes flight. Andrews manages her large cast with dexterity and drops clues to the culprits' identity, but the ending will catch most readers by surprise. Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisEvery once in a while, a book comes along that is both a comfort read and a rousing, fist-pumping adventure, and The Mimicking of Known Successes absolutely is both of those things. An utter triumph.Charlie Jane AndersA Hugo Award nominee for Best NovellaA Nebula Award nominee for Best NovellaAn Ignyte Award nominee for Best NovellaA Locus Award nominee for Best NovellaA Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction of the Year PickA Library Journal Best SF/F of the Year PickA Book Riot Best Mystery and Science Fiction of the Year PickAn Autostraddle Best Science Fiction of the Year PickA Most Anticipated in 2023 Pick for Today.com Buzzfeed Polygon Book Riot Ms. MagazineThe Mimicking of Known Successes presents a cozy Holmesian murder mystery and sapphic romance, set on Jupiter, by Malka Older

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