Mystery

China Bayles isn't happy when a Texas wind blows her husband's ex-wife, and the mother of China's stepson, into her herb shop. Sally is known to have a split personality and fall into constant trouble with the law, but she claims she has nowhere else to turn. Now its up to China to weed out whatever it is Sally's running from before the truth catches up to them all.

WHEN IS A WHITE ALLIGATOR A RED HERRING?

Okay, granted, an albino alligator on the loose in San Francisco is pretty darn exciting. But my two cats, Rupert and Isabella, and I have better things to do than tail a reptile from Nob Hill to Fisherman's Wharf. We're investigating the mysterious Steinhart brothers, the 1900s-era benefactors who provided the original funding for Clive the alligator's aquarium. Follow the money, as my uncle Oscar used to say...

In the media circus surrounding Clive, one clown gets a little too close to the renegade gator--our very own aspiring mayor, Montgomery Carmichael. We'd hate to see Monty meet an undignified end, but we're on a hunt of our own--for Uncle Oscar's latest treasure. Of course, that's assuming the whole thing isn't a crock...

Two families are impacted when their paths cross. We are to discover that what seems to be evident is often misinterpreted and things are not what they seem. Young people are faced with great uncertainty and fear. Chief Inspector Daniel O'Malley is assisted by the young detective Paul Griffin. Resolving the case of a missing young boy calls for urgency. Time is of the essence. Research of police files lead them to a formerly stately home in the Acushnet Heights section of New Bedford. Dark secrets seem to envelope the residence. The information in the police file also directs them to a rooming house in the center of the city. Name confusion adds a degree of puzzlement that takes precious time to unravel. One family will find solace and relief. The other will succumb to a terrible tragedy. Unfounded suspicion by those protecting their loved ones will weaken the strength of the one who held the fragile young people together.

For everyone who loves Jane Austen...a marvelously entertaining new seriesthat turns the incomparable author into an extraordinary sleuth!

On a visit to the estate of her friend, the young and beautiful Isobel Payne, Countess of Scargrave, Jane bears witness to a tragedy. Isobel's husband--agentleman of mature years--is felled by a mysterious and agonizing ailment. TheEarl's death seems a cruel blow of fate for the newly married Isobel. Yet thebereaved widow soon finds that it's only the beginning of her misfortune...asshe receives a sinister missive accusing her and the Earl's nephew ofadultery--and murder. Desperately afraid that the letter will expose her to theworst sort of scandal, Isobel begs Jane for help. And Jane finds herselfembroiled in a perilous investigation that will soon have her following a trailof clues that leads all the way to Newgate Prison and the House of Lords--atrail that may well place Jane's own person in the gravest jeopardy.

Being the First Jane Austen Mystery

"There's plenty to enjoy in this crime-solving side of Jane....[She] is asworthy a detective as Columbo".
-- "USA Today"

"Happily succeeds on all levels: a robust tale of manners and mayhemthat faithfully reproduces the Austen style--and engrosses to the finish".
-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"Splendid fun!"
-- "Star Tribune", Minneapolis

Abbi Hartwell learned to love her chaotic life with a demanding husband, adolescent children, and an ailing mother. She escapes to the court, where she is a juvenile judge, when she needs rules and order. Then her sessions clerk is killed in the courthouse.Decisions need to be made about what secrets to keep and what secrets to reveal.

Plus-sized P.I. Savannah Reid and her pals at the Moonlight Magnolia Detective Agency know a thing or two about fine dining. But when murder shows up on the menu, it's time to go back to the kitchen. . .

When the Moonlight Magnolia gang learns their friends Ryan Stone and John Gibson are planning to open a chic new restaurant, they eagerly offer their input on everything from what dishes to serve to how many calories they should contain. But all Ryan and John can think about is how excited they are to have hired the temperamental but talented chef Baldwin Norwood. Too bad the only thing being sliced and diced in the kitchen is the chef himself. . .

As Savannah turns her attention from munchies to murder, she quickly realizes the cantankerous chef left a bad taste in everyone's mouth, and any number of people could have whipped up a recipe for revenge. Could the jilted sous chef he stabbed in the back have done the same to him? Perhaps the loyal girlfriend he took for granted was finally fed up. Or maybe the business partner whose career he ruined had an appetite for blood. Savannah has her work cut out for her, and just when she thinks there couldn't be any more suspects, she uncovers a plot more precarious than a perfect souffle. . .

Superintendent Gregory Summers is co-operating with the National Crime Squad on an initiative to crack down on illegal immigrants. While he works to target these modern day slave traders, who make the unfortunate 'slaves' pay their own fare to the promised land, Antony Lucas, a young man adopted thirty years ago tracks down wealthy widow Elise Weissman, his birth mother. Antony is cautiously welcomed into the fold, but it isn't long before an abusive past and family secrets threaten to destroy the family. Gregory Summers is drawn into the midst of the tangled affair when he realises Elise is an old friend in trouble. But piecing together the facts is a task that gets more difficult every day.

The tranquility of an early Sunday morning abruptly ends for University of Rhode Island master gardener, Miriam Carnavale, when she discovers the body of Professor Paul Waddington in the college's rose garden. His throat is slashed, a RI red rose boutonniere tucked into his tuxedo. South Kingstown Detective Kara Langley soon realizes there are more than enough suspects among the disgruntled graduate students working for the Waddingtons' program. But, investigating further, she finds the unpopular couple has left behind allegations of harrassment and embezzlement at the previous colleges where they worked. Has their past finally caught up with them in the peaceful Kingston village? Paul's pretentious wife, Stephanie, knows more than she's telling, leaving Kara to piece together the clues before the murderer strikes again.

SHE'S GOT THE GOODS . . .
As a former military spouse, Sarah Winston's learned a little about organizing, packing, and moving. Her latest project sounds promising: a couple of tech-industry hipsters, newly arrived in her Massachusetts town, who need to downsize. Unfortunately, when Sarah tries to sell their stuff, she discovers it's all stolen--and she's the unwitting fence.

BUT SARAH'S PROBLEMS ARE JUST BEGINNING
Michelle, an old friend of Sarah's from the Air Force base, is in line for a promotion--but not everyone is happy about it, and she's been hit with an anonymous discrimination complaint. When one of the men she suspects is behind the accusations turns up dead in Michelle's car, Sarah needs to clear Michelle's name--as well as her own for selling hot merchandise. And she'll have to do it while also organizing a cat lady's gigantic collection of feline memorabilia, or they'll be making room for Sarah in a jail cell . . .

Praise for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale Mysteries

"There's a lot going on in this charming mystery, and it all works . . . Well written and executed, this is a definite winner." --RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars on All Murders Final!

"Full of garage-sale tips...amusing. A solid choice for fans of Jane K. Cleland's Josie Prescott Antique Mystery series."
--Library Journal on Tagged for Death

"A slam dunk for those who love antiques and garage sales . . .surprising twists and turns." --Kirkus Reviews on A Good Day to Buy

Spenser is..."The sassiest, funniest, most-enjoyable-to-read-about private eye around today...the legitimate heir to the Hammett-Chandler-Macdonald tradition." -- "The Cincinnati Post"

Spenser is..."Tougher, stronger, better educated, and far more amusing than Sam Spade, Phil Marlowe, or Lewis Archer...Spenser gives the connoisseur of that rare combination of good detective fiction and good literature a chance to indulge himself." -- "The Boston Globe"

Years ago, two children survived an explosion that killed their parents and older brother. Now, those distant events have far-reaching consequences when Leana Lonergan is killed in a car accident. Leana was the wealthy, beautiful, and brilliant wife of Gar, but due to the circumstances of her death, authorities arent sure if this was an accident or murder. On the west side of Massachusetts, Major Crimes Unit Captain Rudy Beauregard and his detectives are on the case. Gar is the most likely suspect with motive, but Beauregard isnt sure of anything yet. He delves into the questionable auto accident that took Leanas life and finds a lot more than expected. Who was Leana really, and what does she have to do with a woman named Mary Lou? The West Side police follow the investigation from Massachusetts to San Francisco, to the American South and up to the Big Apple. Suddenly, theyre on the hunt for a serial killerpossibly more than one! The more he learns, the more Beauregard begins to doubt the justice system, wondering if murder is ever justified in exchange for childhood horrors.

The stakes have just been raised for psychologist Alan Gregory: His friend and fellow therapist Hannah Grant has died at the office, mysteriously and suddenly. The police are baffled, leaving another apparent homicide unsolved in Boulder, Colorado. Only Alan has the means to decipher Hannahas clues, a quest that will take him to Las Vegas and lead him to question the integrity of those closest to him.

The clock is ticking as Alan tracks one of Hannahas most elusive patients; has she been kidnapped, or is she a runaway? The answers to both cases may be locked in the mind of a patient he has been treating for a schizoid personality disorder. In a maze of dilemmas that could cost him his career, or his life, Alan takes a bold risk that will have readers racing to the stunning conclusion of "Missing Persons,"

Smart and fast-paced, "Missing Persons" showcases the rapid-fire dialogue and taut story lines that have made Stephen White the bestselling author that he is today.

Howard Engel is the award winning writer whose Benny Cooperman mysteries garner rave international reviews-fans stretch from Canada to Japan, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and the United States. His latest, Mr. Doyle and Dr. Bell, is a brilliant departure from the Cooperman series. The year is 1879 and in Edinburgh, Alan Lambert has been tried, convicted, and sentenced to hang for the murder of a dazzling opera star and her lover. But Lambert's brother believes he's innocent and pleads with Dr. Bell, a celebrated professor of anatomy, to uncover the truth. Bell agrees and sets out to crack the case with his keen powers of deduction and the help of his student, Arthur Conan Doyle.

Margaret Truman, who knows where all the bodies are buried inside the Beltway, has written her most thrilling novel of suspense yet. Murder at the Opera features the popular crime-fighting couple Mac Smith and his wife, Annabel Reed-Smith, as they navigate the glitz, glamour, and grime that is Washington, D.C.
It ain't over till the fat lady sings . . . but the show hasn't even started yet when a diva is found dead. The soprano in question, a petite young Asian Canadian named Charise Lee, was scarcely a star at the Washington National Opera. But when the aspiring singer is stabbed in the heart backstage during rehearsals, she suddenly takes center stage.
Georgetown law professor Mac Smith thought he'd just be carrying a rapier in Tosca as a favor for his beloved Annabel, but now they're both being pressured by the panicked theater board to unmask a killer. Providing accompaniment will be former homicide detective, current P.I., and eternal opera fan Raymond Pawkins.
Soon the Smiths find themselves dangerously improvising among an expanding cast of suspects with all sorts of scores to settle. What they uncover is an increasingly complex case reaching far beyond Washington to a dark world of informers and terror alerts in Iraq, and climaxing on a fateful night at the opera attended by none other than the President himself.

A Cozy Mystery Complete with a Small Town Full of Charming, Quirky Characters

Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane doesn't particularly enjoy being touted as the hero of Hidden Springs after pulling a suicidal man back from the edge of the Eagle River bridge in front of dozens of witnesses--a few of whom caught the breathtaking moments with their cameras. But the media hype doesn't last long as a new story pushes its way into the public consciousness of Hidden Springs' concerned citizens.

Photos of a dead girl arrive in the mail, and Michael becomes convinced she was murdered by the man he saved. With a killer one step ahead, things in Hidden Springs begin to unravel. Now Michael must protect the people he loves--because the killer could be targeting one of them next.

Readers will love racing along with Deputy Sheriff Keane as the clock ticks in this page-turning mystery.

Sent by her aunt to Charleston to investigate some mysterious accidents occurring at the home of Aunt Mary's childhood friends, Sheila Travis travels right into the midst of a murder. Reprint.

A Boston law school graduate, new to Alaska and in over his head with his first big case, must defend an innocent man accused of murdering a kindergarten teacher whose naked, half-frozen body he spotted along the shoulder of an isolated highway. As Preston Mills adjusts to life on the Last Frontier, he falls hard for the defendant's spunky and appealing daughter. The crime very nearly goes unsolved due to the unique method of murder.

Mystery novelist and crime reporter Paige Turner is thrilled to see the hottest show on Broadway, but when she sees the star the next morning, he's been prematurely chilled. With her friend Abby, Paige embarks on a quest for the killer that has her springing all over the city like an overheated feline. Original.

When a murder hits close to home, Frank finds himself in an unusual position--the prime suspect in the latest installment of the national bestselling Gaslight Mystery series...

Sarah and Frank Malloy are enjoying married life and looking to make their family official by adopting Catherine, the child whom Sarah rescued and has been raising as her daughter. The process seems fairly straightforward, but at the last minute, the newlyweds discover that Parnell Vaughn, Catherine's legal father, has a claim on the child, and his grasping fiancée is demanding a financial settlement to relinquish parental rights. Even though exchanging money for a child is illegal, Frank and Sarah's love for Catherine drives them to comply.

When Frank returns with the money and finds Vaughn beaten to death, all evidence points to Frank as the culprit. A not-quite-famous actor with modest means, Vaughn seems an unlikely candidate for murder, particularly such a violent crime of passion. But Frank soon uncovers real-life intrigue as dramatic as any that appears on stage.

Sarah and Frank enlist those closest to them to help hunt for Vaughn's killer as Frank's own life--and the future of their family--hang in the balance.

Robbie Jordan is temporarily leaving Pans 'N Pancakes, her country store in South Lick, Indiana, to visit Santa Barbara, California--where wildfire smoke tinges the air, but a more immediate danger may lie in wait . . .

While looking forward to her high school reunion back in California, Robbie's anticipation is complicated by memories of her mother's untimely death. At first, she has fun hanging out with her old classmates and reuniting with the local flavors--avocados, citrus, fish, and spicy Cali-Mex dishes. But then she gets wind of rumors that her mother, an environmental activist, may not have died of natural causes. With the help of friends, Robbie starts clearing the smoke surrounding the mystery--but what she finds could make it hard to get back to Indiana alive . . .

Includes Recipes for You to Try!

Cat Wilde couldn't refuse to help a friend who needed someone to run her table at the local flea market. Luckily she had the space next to Old Sam, a flea market diehard. So when he's murdered, she starts digging into the discordant world of the flea market hierarchy and discovers it's not who you are -- it's what you sell. And there are those who seek buried treasure in piles of junk -- people who will do anything for a bargain. Even kill.

Sarah Grayson and her feline ally, Elvis, get a chance to see if their sleuthing skills are up to scratch in the sixth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.

It's fall in North Harbor, Maine, where Sarah owns a charming secondhand shop and sells lovingly refurbished items of all kinds. The shop is always bustling--and not just because a quirky team of senior-citizen detectives works out of it and manages to get in even more trouble than Sarah's rough-and-tumble rescue cat, Elvis.

A cold case heats up when young Mallory Pearson appears at the shop. Mallory's father is in prison for negligence after her stepmother's mysterious death, but Mallory believes he is innocent and asks the in-house detectives to take on the case. With Sarah and Elvis lending a paw, the detectives decide to try to give Mallory's father a second chance of his own.