From an untimely demise at JazzFest to a dose of love laced with intrigue amongst an assortment of vivid local characters in an Uptown pharmacy (the kind you could only find in the N.O.), Festival of Murder has a little bit of something for everyone—everyone who loves New Orleans, that is.Cuddle up with a Kindle and enjoy this all-expenses-paid vacation to the fabled Big Easy (drive-thru daiquiris not included).JAZZ FUNERALThe THIRD book in the Edgar Award-winning Skip Langdon mystery seriesEverybody loved easygoing Ham Brocato, producer of the famed New Orleans JazzFest. So how did he end up stabbed to death on his kitchen floor?New Orleans Homicide Detective Skip Langdon just happens to be on hand when Ham’s body is discovered in the middle of his own party the evening before the Fest. To complicate the already murky case, the victim's sixteen-year-old blues musician sister has disappeared, and Skip suspects that if the young woman isn't the murderer, she's in mortal danger from the person who is.CITY OF BEADS The SECOND deliciously sneaky mystery in Anthony- and Edgar-nominated Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet series. Tubby Dubonnet’s bored. Sure, researching licensing law for the new casino will keep trout meunière on the table, but what could be more tedious? (Unless, of course, the client turns out to be the mob.) Meanwhile, there’s the estate of an old friend who controls some dock leases on the wharf. And he agrees to help his daughter’s environmental group stop illegal dumping in the river. Ho-hum, thinks our hero. But suddenly all three cases begin to converge in an entirely ominous way. And Tubby’s running for his life.MAKE ME DEADA Vampyres of Hollywood mystery by Adrienne BarbeauAs always in a Vampyres of Hollywood mystery, the biting wit is sharper than a nip from a passing vampyre—in a word, humor, wit, and satire are what this engaging series is really all about. Nobody’s better than Barbeau at skewering the foibles of Hollywood and its self-involved denizens, and nobody’s got a smarter mouth than her movie star heroine, vampye Ovsanna Moore, this time in New Orleans for a horror convention. (Fasten your seat belts—lots of fun to be had at the expense of horror conventions!)PICK-UP LINEA Love Story With Wit, Charm and Murder by Patty FriedmannCupid’s working overtime in the unlikely venue of N.O. Drugs, where plus-sized beauty Ciana Jambon works with dread-locked pharmacy student Lennon Israel, who’s so handsome, so meticulous, he just has to be gay. But she can't help herself—she’s got the crush of the century. And a murder to unravel.PI ON A HOT TIN ROOFThe FOURTH mystery in Edgar-winning author Julie Smith’s Talba Wallis series.

    The Book of Craw -- comprised of poems and proverbs from Craw's own notebook -- is the companion volume to The Dirty Parts of the Bible: A Novel.

    When she was shoved into the path of his bullet during a dispute over their love, it was enough to make him think twice before drawing his pistol ever again. Now, he must overcome that hesitation when outlaw Charlie Blaylock shoots Strong’s brother dead right in front of him. Strong, now a Texas Ranger, joins up with Gabriela’s brother, Juanito, and the Englishman Granville Sikes to catch the killer and bring him to justice. It’s a ride that gives them more than they bargained for when they learn that Blaylock is hiding out with wealthy and powerful kin. But justice isn’t the only thing Strong is after. He finds love again with Li Xu, a Chinese immigrant’s daughter kidnapped by a band of desperados. That’s double jeopardy for those who stand in Strong’s path, but he must think fast if he plans to both save the girl and avenge his brother. Enjoy the action in Strong Convictions, a fun and entertaining Western by author GP Hutchinson. It’s a wild ride through the West with a multiethnic cast and a surprising twist ending.

     Warm, unputdownable reading - you're sure to find the perfect holiday romance to cosy up with! 'Doesn't get much better than this sweet and romantic page-turner' (Closer) 'A jewel ... sparkling with warm, delightful characters' (Romantic Times)

     Her beautiful home in Cades Cove, Tennessee, lies deep in the Smoky Mountains. For decades, her family has farmed and lived peacefully, until the soldiers came and made every day a struggle to survive. Whether they wear gray or blue, the men in uniform arrive unexpectedly and take whatever they want. Not only do they steal food and livestock, but some believe they can help themselves to anything they desire. Lily now has something to fear. Caleb Henry is running from his own battles, bleeding and broken. He seeks refuge in the cove and literally runs into Lily. Because he’s injured, she shows compassion and sneaks him into her cabin, trusting her folks to tend him. But there’s more to Caleb than they see on the surface. His arrival changes their lives, and what happens going forward can never be undone.

    A stockpile of plundered Southern riches. Can a proud family reclaim the gold for its rightful owners? Kansas-Mississippi border, 1865. Tommy McCoy burns for justice. Reeling from the end of the bloody Civil War, he learns that a corrupt Northern general has raided the bounty of the Confederacy and plans to keep it. Tommy and his shrewd father vow to get back the valuables for innocent Southern families or die trying. With time running out before the general's reinforcements arrive, Tommy risks a deadly confrontation in a series of secret raids. Can he secure the rightful Confederate property before the North deals the McCoys a final crushing blow? The McCoys: Before the Feud is the first book in a deeply-researched historical Western saga. If you like dusty battles, a different point of view on yesteryear, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Thomas A. McCoy’s gripping tale of justice for the people. Buy The McCoys: Before the Feud to join a family’s quest for justice today!

    Within an hour, the family is torn asunder. While her husband is away, Indians seize her and their sons, carrying them to an unknown fate. Only her teenage daughter escapes. Alone in the world, young Jane fights to make her way, while her father searches frantically for her. Amidst the turmoil of the Revolutionary War, the family struggles to reunite. Soon even greater tragedy erupts. Book club discussion questions included. Also by Sandy Hill: "Tangled Threads," set in a 1890s cotton mill village. The novel tells the story of two strong women whose lives intersect through the years in both painful and joyful ways.

    Too young to die, too tough to care Morgan heads west chasing rumors of the Pikes Peak gold rush and grows up much too early along the way.

    The marshal has no idea what to do with them, and certainly can’t let them back out on the streets. Too dangerous. He tells the women they have two choices. They can either join a wagon train headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico as mail order brides, or be sent to the state prison. When the women agree to his plan, he hires a brothel owner whose business just burned to the ground to chaperone the ladies on the wagon train. A brothel owner as a chaperone? There’s bound to be trouble for Adelaide, Cinnamon, Becky and Miranda with Miss Nellie in charge.

    He wakes one morning to find himself charged with the brutal assault on a young woman who now lies comatose, unable to testify to his innocence. A fluke accident allows him to escape custody. Now on the run, he travels to the Lowcountry of South Carolina to find Doctor Emily Parker, the one person who can lead him to the real assailant. Standing in her way is the wealthy and powerful Harrington family, who will do anything, including committing murder, to keep her from the truth.

    During the War Between the States, her family’s plantation was burned to the ground, killing both her parents and leaving her scarred, both physically and emotionally. Despite facing extreme hardship, she’s grown into a compassionate woman with a heart for helping people. She lives in a small cabin with an old ex-slave and a young boy, who was the lone survivor of a wagon train attack. The three of them have formed a make-shift family that includes a one-eyed cat and a baby fox. Their world changes the day a gunfighter full of bullet holes collapses on their land.

    A murder game of blood and bit coin.The stakes are raised when he chooses a white-hat hacker for his next target. Is Lexi clever enough to find him first?“Digital Velocity… A steamy, seductive police procedural about a cyber predator whose deviant mayhem originates in the dark web.” - BestThrillers.comDigital VelocityA killer’s game of cat and mouse… But his prey has secrets.Amateur sleuth Lexi Donovan is a white-hat hacker from a small town near Portland, Oregon. Armed with snark and grit, she levels the playing field against criminals using bits and bytes, with anonymity as her shield. Never did she imagine meeting her equal on the dark net.When a series of murders ends with her friend’s death, she discovers the killer’s digital betting arena on the dark web. The cunning psychopath leaves obscure riddles in his gory game of cat and mouse to lead police officers to the next victim.In seeking justice, Lexi directs anonymous tips to Detective McAllister, an alpha-male cop hard-wired for justice, and inadvertently sends him into a firefight. Her intent to stop the killing spree backfires and centers the killer’s crosshairs on her. With a dog for protection and sarcasm for her shield, she straddles the law to bring a killer to justice while navigating the murky waters of betrayal, deception, and passion.Bound By ShadowsShe woke up in a cage… UndergroundKidnapping and murder never crossed Kaylee’s mind when seeking a fresh start in Portland, Oregon, a new beginning to shed the remnants of tragedy dogging her steps. After escaping an underground prison, she fights to stay one step ahead of the killer bent on silencing his only witness. Kaylee.Two months after dodging a serial killer’s best efforts, Caden McAllister flounders within a social sink hole, unable to move forward, too stubborn to step back. Guarded and wary, the private investigator’s stagnant lifestyle detonates into chaos when a battered and bloody young waif stumbles into his care. Framed for a murdering a past lover, Caden must clear his name and overcome his charge’s doubts while keeping her out of the sex-trafficking trade. When betrayal ends with Kaylee’s re-capture, he must conquer his dark past and risk all or lose the one he has come to love. Murder, mystery, underground tunnels, and romance intertwine in this standalone romantic thriller, the second installment of the McAllister Justice Series.

    Not only wasn’t he dead, he was hiding a decades old secret… PROTECTIVE Honey has been trying hard to avoid an abusive ex, so when she meets Morgan she doesn’t quite know what to make of him. And she shouldn’t—Morgan may want her, but there’s more to him than meets the eye. WHO BY WATER Jo Wiley thought she had her life figured out and had made peace with her past when she moved around the world to Slovenia. Only there are more ghosts in Slovenia than in the life she left behind… VENGEANCE Sin wants justice for what the Kurev family did to her parents. Lee wants revenge. FBI agent Owen wants to arrest them both for the crimes they’ve committed. But Sin and Lee hope hey are too good to be caught… Buckle up and hang on tight to over 1400 pages of nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat thrill rides.

    So, they decided to try and live up to their reputation as wanted men—an idea easier said than done. Buck Hawkins and Dobie Garrett are a pair of cowboys in the Texas Panhandle. They’re unlikely outlaws—until their ranch is stolen and the two cowhands framed for rustling and horse theft by a crooked banker. Now with a price on their heads and hunted by the law, the two cowboys decide that if they have to ride the outlaw trail, they might as well be the best holdup artists in Texas. Problem is, they aren't all that good at the trade. Just when they thought it couldn't get worse ... During a botched stage holdup, they meet Marylou Kowalski, who demands at the point of a derringer that Buck and Dobie kidnap her; she's bored with her life and looking for excitement on the outlaw trail. Marylou convinces the two fugitives that the three of them can score the ultimate in revenge—holding up the crooked banker who posted reward flyers on the two cowboys. A novel by Gene Shelton, author of Houston Madam and other books.

    Her doting parents want her to make a good match with a worthy gentleman and live a respectable life. She is beautiful and intelligent and she comes with a hefty dowry. There is no reason that she shouldn’t be able to find an eligible man and settle down.Tessa herself is the reason. The men who are attempting to court her are, in her opinion, boring and conceited. Not only that, Tessa craves excitement and adventure, of which there is little in her social circles. By chance, she comes across an advertisement for a bride brokerage company seeking eligible women of good breeding to go west and find husbands.One man on the list catches her eye and she begins corresponding with him, eventually agreeing to go to Montana to meet him. She can’t resist the possibility of finding someone different and even if she doesn’t, the adventure itself would be worth her time. Tessa makes a successful escape and sets out to make a new life in Montana.Dean Samuels is a Montana rancher who is in over his head. His ranch is struggling and his two children are unruly and in need of a caretaker. It’s clear to his younger brother, Marcus, that he needs help. He tells Dean about a mail order bride service and convinces him that he should utilize it to find a wife.After his wife, Sarah, had passed away, Dean never intended to marry again. His ranch and his children became his life. However, it becomes apparent that Sadie, his daughter, and his son, Jack, need stability and love. The demands of raising his children and keeping his head above water financially have taken a toll and Dean grudgingly gives in to Marcus’ idea.Sarah had been the love of his life and Dean doesn’t intend to let any other woman into his heart. He’s locked those kinds of emotions deep inside, not wanting to take the chance of getting hurt like that again. Because Dean has trouble expressing his feelings in writing, his younger brother Marcus agrees to help write the letters to Tessa. Dean is happy to leave that part up to him.When Dean and Tessa meet, sparks fly between the two strong willed people. Tessa is disappointed that Dean isn’t the romantic, sophisticated man she was lead to believe he was in the letters she received. Dean is aggravated that she isn’t a meek woman who is easily managed. Never mind the fact that she has no idea of how to take care of children and keep a home.Dean and Tessa struggle to find common ground and make their marriage work. Will they each take the risk and open their hearts to one another? Can their marriage survive and will they find love and contentment in each other? Their future happiness hangs in the balance under the Montana skies.