. . Amateur boxer turned executive Joe Robbins moves his family to Austin, Texas, to join a startup and get rich. At his first company party, Joe witnesses a young woman commit suicide. She leaves no note . . . no motive . . . and the image haunts his dreams.But the company is busy writing software and making sales and everyone is going to get rich! Employees careen around Austin like bats.When the market crashes, the company falls apart, and the paper riches evaporate. Then a director is found murdered, and the police figure Joe for a prime suspect. Two more executives are murdered, and Joe might be next.Forced into the role of an amateur detective, Joe falls back on what he knows: facts, logic, and analysis. If the going gets rough, he’ll use his fists. Whatever the approach, he’d better work fast because he’s facing a long stay in prison or a short trip to the morgue.

     Whether white or black, living or dead, down home country or upscale urban, Gabriel’s characters are quirky, poignant and deep. They include: A Gullah woman using folk magic to cast her latest spell. A girl coming-of-age dealing with death in 1940s Tennessee. A wealthy Savannah matriarch with gastrointestinal issues guarding family secrets. A good ol’ boy observing himself shortly after his death. An agoraphobic woman striking up a unique friendship with the girl across the street. And a band of seventy-year-olds finding healing in a mountain stream. Written in the tradition of Flannery O’Connor and Eudora Welty, the eight short stories in Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories are all rooted in the southern landscape—from the steamy coast of Georgia, to the current day Atlanta suburbs, to the ancient Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Pull up a rocker on the front porch, take a sip of your sweet iced tea and lose yourself in these original stories of soulful southerners and their sultry landscape.

    Her client becomes the prime suspect and Iris sets out to find the real killer. Things go from bad to worse when Iris' boyfriend reconnects with an old flame, bringing up buried secrets and unintended consequences that threaten to change Iris' life forever.“Mystery and distinctive characters hone this remarkable tale.”Kirkus ReviewsCory teases out her twisty plot at the perfect pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Her multilayered characters are working at cross purposes, and even the most astute mystery reader won’t see where everything is headed until the final thread is unknotted. Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending guaranteed to satisfy.P.M. Steffen, best-selling author of The Profiler’s Daughter and Killing Ulysses.

    The afterword explains where the ideas for the stories came from.

    DudeMichaela, Dottie and Angel work the kidnapping of a young women who never returns home from a job interview.The Case of the Dead DowagerFear grips Richmond, Virginia as madmen invade restaurants and bars and terrorize patrons.The Case of the Man OverboardMic, Dottie, and Angel take a restful Mediterranean cruise until a research scientist goes overboard and Michaela finds her clothes cut to shreds in her stateroom.

    Mallard Cove Marina was ripe for the picking, and it fell right in their laps. But a mysterious bomber saw it as a great deal, too. He wants to kill their deal, and them along with it. With the help of several friends including Murph's old boss and best friend Casey Shaw and his fiancée Dawn McAlister, they just might live long enough to close this deal. But Murph and Lindsay will also need the help of a funny group of charter boat crews and marina liveaboards if they are going to dodge all the bullets and shrapnel. Find out what happens in this fun and suspenseful nautical adventure!

    but can it, when one of the actors has a cue to a kill?Backstage at the last night performance of the murder-mystery play "Bone Chiller," a real life killer is stalking the corridors of the theater.The Goose Meadow Bay Players' Halloween production has been declared an artistic success by enthralled audiences, but onstage and backstage the cast and crew are just a little bit bored.On the last night, one of the actors has a great idea to liven things up and everything seems harmless enough, but then an attempt is made on one actor's life. Not long after that, another goes missing.With the audience's laughter ringing in their ears, the cast are more intent on stardom than finding the potential murderer lurking amongst them. Can Kath keep the show running, the cast safe and make sure the killer sticks to the script?This is a cozy mystery short read in the Stage Door series.

     Follow Holmes and Watson as they traverse the streets of London and take on cases from the most unlikely of clients in these thirteen short mysteries.    In Val Andrews’  Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Dozen  you will find marvellous tales of intrigue and mystery....      The Lobster Quadrille Colonel Archibald Fanshawe, from Watson’s Afghanistan days, bumps into his old comrade and proceeds to invite Watson and Holmes for dinner with him and his wife. As the dinner is in full swing and the main course gets underway it is apparent to Holmes that something is afoot after Fanshawe falls gravely ill at dinner…   The Gantry Point Wreckers Take a trip away from Baker Street whilst Holmes recuperates on doctor’s orders and has some well-earned rest in the North Devon town of Bideford. Not too long after arriving in the town Holmes’ rested mind begins to work overtime as he soon begins unravelling the mystery of sinking ships in the next town along.   Sherlock Holmes and the Gypsy Switch Mrs Joan Moran’s trip out to Streatham to ogle at Middle Eastern oddities culminates in a new case for Holmes and Watson. They must discover how her husband, who has been dead for some time, is able to gift her with gold coins from beyond the grave in this chilling tale.   The Kinema Mystery In an unusual case Holmes must save the owner of several kinemas from a thief who is able to walk through walls and disappear without a trace. Leaving in their wake a series of robberies targeting the kinema owner and stealing valuable objects, Holmes must use all his nous to solve this case.   The Baker Street Conjurer George Dean, proprietor and owner of the tavern ‘Cold Cut and Tankard’ requires the help of Holmes and Watson to ascertain how a conjurer who entertains his paying guests may or may not be magically stealing his earnings from right under his nose.   Plus many more stories. Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Dozenis a new collection from Val Andrews that is packed full of vibrant tales of London’s finest detective.     Val Andrews (15 February 1926 – 12 December 2006) was a music hall artist, ventriloquist and writer. Andrews was a prolific writer on magic, having published over 1000 books and booklets from 1952. He also authored Sherlock Holmes pastiches and Houdini's novels.  Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.

     But the deadly picnic outside Chillicothe, Ohio, isn't the only treacherous investigation facing Seamus; he also worms his way into a Cincinnati murder investigation when the victim turns out to be a church friend's fiancé. While police speculate this killing may have been the mistake of a dyslexic hit man, Seamus uncovers disturbing information of financial chicanery, and by doing so, puts his son in danger and places a target on his own back. Can Seamus bring the truth to light, or will those who have already killed to keep their secrets succeed in silencing a threat once more?

    He is stabbed twenty-seven times. The killer is still on the loose. The police have exhausted all leads. Johnny takes the case and immediately runs into problems. His star witness is dead. The best suspect turns out to be innocent. Time is running out. Will Johnny solve the case before his client meets his own death? Will the assassin strike again? Murder Rites is the first book in The Johnny Sundance Mystery Series.

    That expectation dies when she and Clay find Trey Rosemont murdered on the foyer floor. Across town, police officers race to Eastwood University. Priceless Egyptian artifacts were stolen from the history department safe. Wrenn's longtime love, Eastwood professor Gideon Douglas, heads the department. Only recovery of the artifacts will save his career. Life in Havens, Ohio, doesn't stop for this crime spree. Wrenn works for Mayor K.C. Tallmadge. He wishes Wrenn would stop searching down clues ahead of the police and pacify temperamental playwright Barton Reed. Barton's play is just days away from opening in the town's historic Baxter Theater. Amid murder, theft, or curtain calls, Wrenn's instincts prove sharp. But it's her stubborn one-woman approach that places her directly in the killer's path.

    Andy is a reporter who can't quite seem to please his editor. Both have a knack for finding and solving mysteries, and there are plenty in the city of Lesser Redmond! Thirty super quick mysteries you can solve yourself!

    Visiting the city to attend a retreat, friends Margaret and Louise become intrigued by the circumstances surrounding the murder and quickly find themselves embroiled in the investigation. Will they discover that they’ve stepped into something they won’t be able to walk away from? Will the murderer target them next?

     Private Investigator Barb Jackson thought she'd seen it all. But when a last minute shopping excursion leads Barb and her best friend Kelly to a dead Santa Claus beneath the shopping mall Christmas tree, she realizes that not everyone in town is filled with holiday cheer. Jilted lovers, angry elves, and a whole slew of harried shoppers stand between Barb and the truth. But this is one blonde who won't give up that easily! It’s up to Barb and her friends to find the killer and save Christmas before the Santa Claus Killer claims another victim... The Barb Jackson Mysteries: Bubblegum Blonde (book #1) Blondes' Night Out (short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection) The Blonde Before Christmas (holiday short story) What critics are saying about Anna Snow's books: "This author knows suspense and how to place just the right amount of comedy to keep us reading. The combination is gripping and pulls a readers attention." —Night Owl Reviews "Will keep you spellbound until the very last page." —The Romance Reviews "A fast and enjoyable read, with plenty of emotion and passion." —Dark Diva Reviews

    Finally Paul’s got a story he can sell, if he can catch the murderer before the murderer catches him. And maybe he will … after all, there’s a Volume 2: HUCKLEBERRY FIEND, a risible treat for the rigorous bibliophile (and anyone else who loves a good puzzle) … Vol. 1: TRUE LIFE ADVENTURE Things were going lousy for ex-reporter Paul Mcdonald: No money, no girl friend, no bright new career as a mystery novelist … and then along came private investigator Jack Birnbaum with an offer: he’d detect, and Paul would write the client reports. It wasn’t much, but it would keep Spot the cat in Kitty Queen tidbits. But then somebody poisoned Jack in Paul’s own living room. There must have been something someone didn't want him to know in one of those client reports. But what? Vol. 2: HUCKLEBERRY FIEND The most priceless American manuscript in existence—the missing holograph of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn-- has unceremoniously dropped into Paul Mcdonald's hands-- now what? In between much-needed therapy sessions, Paul's neurotic friend Booker the burglar stole it from his dad’s girl friend’s roommate, and now wants sometime-sleuth Paul to find its rightful owner. Because he’s pretty sure the roommate's not it. He’s only too right: Beverly, it turns out, is dead. Murdered for the manuscript, if Paul’s guess is right. Fans of CASTLE, MURDER SHE WROTE, even ELLERY QUEEN will enjoy this fast-paced and funny take on the mystery-writer-as-detective. As will people who like their male sleuths wry, witty, and a little on the soft-boiled side—fans of Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings, say, Tony Dunbar’s Tubby Dubonnet, Gregory Mcdonald’s Fletch (this Mcdonald, it's worth noting, is Paul’s personal hero), and especially Rex Stout’s Archie Goodwin. Huckleberry Fiend will delight fans of mysteries about books-- Lawrence Block’s Bernie Rhodenbarr series, John Dunning's Cliff Janeway books, the Death on Demand books by Carolyn Hart, and Joan Hess's Claire Malloy series. Female sleuths with a sense of humor remind us of him too—for instance, Criminal Minds’ Penelope Garcia and the immortal Amelia Peabody (of whom he’d be terrified if they ever met).