Crime and mystery: women sleuths / detectives

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs the season of Pentecost approaches, Berdie Elliott's husband, the vicar for the Aidan Kirkwood village prepares for the Whitsun Long Weekend Regatta boat race. But one amongst them is in a van explosion that puts Berdie right in it. The shock of the blast sends her whirling and when the Yard arrives, fingers point to a profiled suspect that ignites village fears. Who would think that business vans, one heroic dog, mistaken identity, an evocative book, and enduring friendships could help solve the crime? Berdie must recapture her investigative brilliance, sift the ashes, and ascertain who is responsible. Will the enigma of fire be laid bare? This mystery sizzles.Trade Review"Leach's careful attention to detail brings the English countryside to life." Amanda Cabot, author, Scattered Petals"I love Marilyn's voice, and I hope there are many more books to come." L.A. Sartor, author, Be Mine this Christmas Night

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Bitch Called Hope is the poker term for drawing the queen-eight in Texas Hold 'Em. There's not enough luck in the world to build a winning hand with those cards, but it's so tempting to try. Meet Lennox Cooper. She's a smart poker player, a smart detective, but she's got issues. A year ago her affair with a married cop got her fired from the Portland Police. Now she's trying to build a new life as a private investigator, but all she'd landed so far are surveillance gigs. The murder of a wealthy developer gives her a chance to reestablish herself as a homicide detective. During the course of the investigation she meets Mr. Right. Only problem, he's on the short list of suspects. Lennox bets on her lover's innocence. The odds aren't much better than drawing A Bitch Called Hope.Trade Review"...a well crafted mystery novel with a heroine you can root for, plenty of action and a satisfying ending." —Phillip Margolin, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of CAPITOL MURDER "A noir with heart…Beware, it's hard to put down." —Cara Black, bestselling author of the Aimee Leduc mystery novels "Yowzah, what a great mystery novel!! Gardner has created a modern P.I. in time-honored tradition, and the result is both fresh and grounded." —Carolyn Lane, Murder By The Book "Gardner deftly balances the detailed intricacy of the police procedural with a richly nuanced tale of betrayed love, family conflict, and murder. Told with a crisp voice and sharp pacing, the story of private investigator Lennox Cooper packs a wallop from the opening scene." —Bill Cameron, author of the Spotted Owl Award-winning COUNTY LINE

Read more less

Book SynopsisLike a monarch surveying her domain, the house has stood for over a hundred years in the fishing village of Apalachicola on Florida’s northwest coast. She has known life. She has known passionate love. She has known brutal death. But she has guarded her secrets well . . . Then eighteen-year-old Elise Foster and her parents arrive from Atlanta in their silver Jaguar, bringing with them their own secrets and desires. Seeking friendship in their new community, they find instead that the townspeople resent their intrusion. But this intrusion on the house’s privacy also provides a pathway for the past and the present to merge—and for the truth behind an unsolved murder to finally be brought to light. As you strive to solve the mystery, you and the Fosters are forced to address two critical questions: What is real? What is delusion?Trade ReviewRoyal Palm Literary Awards Finalist in Published Book-Length Mainstream Genre “I couldn’t put this book down. What a read! If I’m ever in the market for an old house in the South, I’ll be sure to check out its past first.” —Adair Lara, author of Naked, Drunk and Writing “In House, Ruth Coe Chambers explores love in all its guises, including the possibility that it is eternal and exists beyond the grave. This psychological mystery is a must read for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking look at people caught in a web of deception beyond their understanding.” —Carol Costello, author of Chasing Grace: A Novel of Odd Redemption “We southerners embrace history and romance, especially if they’re set in a mysterious old house. Chambers’ novel provides these ingredients, which left me in awe—of the well-crafted mystery and of the setting, a house filled with history and passion.” —Belinda Hulin, author of Roux Memories: A Cajun-Creole Love Story with Recipes “The story is interesting from the start and keeps your attention through to the end with many twists and turns and a lot of mystery and secrets.” —I'd Rather Be At the Beach “I enjoyed the small town, cozy feeling of this book.” —Book Nerd Native “I will definitely be reading it a second time since this is the type of book you will discover new details each time it’s read.” —Readaholic Zone “...pulled me in with the intense atmosphere and air of mystery.” —Stephanie's Book Reviews “There are many threads in this tale all weaving together to form a very enthralling tale.” —Broken Teepee “This book was fantastic! I love ghost stories anyway but this was one of the best I have read.” —Wall-to-Wall Books “You feel connected to this story. ... give yourself to this novel, don't hold back.” —Jorie Loves a Story

Read more less

Book SynopsisThirty-five-year-old Rae Sullivan owns a thriving home décor shop in the San Francisco Bay area, near majestic Mt. Tamalpais (to locals, The Sleeping Lady). But when her business partner, Thalia, confides that she has a lover in France, Rae’s comfortable life starts to unravel. Soon, an anonymous note-writer threatens to reveal the affair, and Thalia—who, unswayed by Rae’s warnings, insists on confronting the blackmailer—turns up dead in Golden Gate Park. The police, convinced the crime was a random mugging, are dismissive of Rae’s story of blackmail. Then a scandal from Rae’s past job comes to light, and the police start to eye her as a suspect. To clear her reputation and ensure justice for Thalia, Rae decides it’s up to her to unmask the murderer—despite her husband’s objections. Rae’s sleuthing leads her to France, where she enlists the help of Thalia’s handsome half brother. As they collaborate to catch the killer, sparks fly between them, and Rae has to contend with these newly aroused feelings—even as she strives to outmaneuver a cold-blooded murderer who wants to silence her.Trade Review2019 IPPY Bronze Medal Winner in Mystery 2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Finalist in Fiction (Mystery/General) 2019 Eric Hoffer Award Finalist "From San Francisco to Paris, Rae Sullivan's investigation into a friend's murder will delight readers and keep them guessing until the very end." —Wendy Tokunaga, author of Postcards From Tokyo and Love in Translation "The Sleeping Lady is a terrific debut. Rae Sullivan is an engaging heroine, the characters are finely drawn, and the dialogue is tight. The plot is beautifully paced. For those who love the San Francisco Bay Area, this novel shines like the sun breaking through the morning fog on a perfect San Francisco day. We will be hearing more from this talented newcomer." —Sheldon Siegel, New York Times best-selling author of Special Circumstances "The Sleeping Lady is a stellar debut in the mystery genre. Monte has managed to create real, believable characters—especially the heroine, Rae Sullivan, whose business partner and friend has been found murdered. Monte delivers an exciting ride from the San Francisco Bay ​area to the French countryside and back, with an intriguing plot that keeps the reader guessing to the very end. A fun, satisfying story with great dialogue and a surprising twist in what one hopes will become a series. Highly recommend this delightful novel!" —Michelle Cox, ​author of the award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen the fiancée of a prominent attorney is murdered, Dr. Pepper Hunt joins forces again with Detective Beau Antelope of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Department to search for the killer. Prosecutor Connor Collin’S dreams are shattered when Stacy Hart is found strangled in their home a month before their wedding. He’s convinced Jack Swailes, the contractor who found the body, killed her in a jealous rage. And Jack looks guilty when he mysteriously disappears later that day. The investigation takes a different turn when Pepper uses her clinical skills to probe below the surface of the perfect couple’s lives. Chilling secrets and sinister motives that lead back to unsolved crimes with a direct link to Stacy’s murder are finally brought to light. If you enjoy reading Ann Cleeves, Sophie Hannah and Louise Penny, you'll love the Dr. Pepper Hunt Mysteries.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Riverton Falls, a small New England town, globe-trotting bartender Celeste Fortune stands in her kitchen puzzling over last night’s frightening dream—a woman at a window, lilacs blowing in the breeze, someone’s hands tight around her neck. Celeste is sure the dream belongs to someone else. Perhaps she has finally broken through to the collective dreams of Dreamland cult. Hoping her therapist and cult leader will help her untangle it, she heads off into the cold November morning to her final appointment with him—or so she hopes. Her estranged fiancé has delivered an ultimatum: Leave the cult of Dreamers, or end their relationship for good. Instead of help, however, Celeste discovers her therapist dying in a pool of blood, skull stove in by his own healing crystal. His computer, containing the intimate dreams and secrets of half the town, is gone. Suspicion immediately falls on Celeste, known to be a rebellious member of his cult. To clear her name, Celeste enlists the help of her old friend, Gloria. But when the two women discover the power of the stolen dreams, they unwittingly become the killer’s next target.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner IPPY Silver in Mystery and IndieFab Finalist in Mystery and Multicultural Fiction When Rania—the only female Palestinian police detective in the northern West Bank, as well as a young mother in a rural community where many believe women should not have such a dangerous career—discovers the body of a foreign woman on the edge of her village, no one seems to want her look too deeply into what’s happened. But she finds an ally in Chloe—a gay, Jewish-American peace worker with a camera and a big attitude—and together, with the help of an annoying Israeli policeman, they work to solve the murder. As they do, secrets about war crimes and Israel’s thriving sex trafficking trade begin to surface—and Rania finds everything she holds dear in jeopardy. Fast-paced and intricately plotted, Murder Under The Bridge offers mystery lovers an intimate view of one of the most fraught political conflicts on the planet.Trade Review“One of the best mysteries I've read in a long time. Kept me from doing ten important things I should have been doing because I just had to finish it! Kate Raphael writes great women characters and does a fantastic job of portraying the realities of Palestinian life as background to a gripping story.” —Starhawk, best-selling author of The Fifth Sacred Thing and The Spiral Dance “Strong and complex female characters, a unique and vividly drawn setting, and an utterly compelling story—Kate Jessica Raphael offers you everything you could possibly want in a page-turning mystery. Let's hope this is the first of many novels to come.” —Elaine Beale, author of Murder in the Castro “[Murder Under the Bridge's] mix of murder and politics makes for fascinating reading, made even richer by the revealing glimpse of life in the occupied territories.” —Booklist “A stunning mystery novel by a talented new writer. Anyone picking up the book will be drawn in by Rania and Chloe, a dynamic, realistic, pair of women sleuths . . . An outstanding addition to the global mystery field. More, please!” —Sujata Massey, author of The Sleeping Dictionary “Raphael has created a wonderful cast, most especially her Palestinian policewoman, Rania… Authoritatively and vividly rendered, Murder Under the Bridge is a compelling read.” —Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and The Jane Austen Book Club “Both [Chloe] and Rania work, in their own ways, to protect the innocent from easy labels like terrorist—labels that Raphael dismantles and examines in this provocative novel.” —Publishers Weekly “Raphael thoroughly captures the tension of life on the West Bank by setting a murder in a location marked by daily violence. Substantial yet humanly flawed female protagonists give depth to both the mystery … and the political and social turmoil of the region.” —Library Journal, starred review

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisJanet Evanovich, the “most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times), is in top form as she sends Stephanie Plum on the trail of a stolen stash of dirty diamonds in this instant #1 New York Times bestseller.Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered an assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds from his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day. With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there. To complicate matters, her best friend is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions. As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too in this “uproarious, crazy, laugh-a-minute caper” (Booklist, starred review).

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less