On the run, she sheds her rich identity and navigates life without servants or money. When she chooses undercover FBI agent Frank Bachman's car to hide in, she begins the wildest journey of her life. When her husband is found murdered by her knitting needle, Imogene enlists Frank's help to find the true killer and recover her stolen money. Imogene and Frank must sidestep their growing attraction in order to unwind the web of deceit that surrounds her. As the truth unravels, Imogene learns the truth about her life, her marriage and why more than one person wants her dead.

    Instead of enjoying a relaxing Memorial Day weekend at Kelleys Island on Lake Erie, this dynamic duo finds themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. They need to find out who burned down their friend's store, discover the identity of the charred corpse found in the wreckage, and clear Francie's husband, Hamm, before he is charged with the crime. Fueled up with their favorite snacks of wine and cheese, these adventure-loving ladies manage to keep their eyes open for a bargain, come up with a plan, and even indulge in a bit of romance, all while dodging increasingly dangerous attempts to silence them for good. Grab your sunglasses, your favorite cocktail, a copy of Sunny Side Up, and head to the lake with them for an unforgettable weekend adventure.

    But nestled in the valley of this ski resort town is a side street full of shops that specialize in the simple charms of earlier eras. One of those shops is the Rescued Word, where Chester Henry and his adult granddaughter Clare lovingly repair old typewriters and restore old books. Who ever thought their quaint store would hold the key to some modern-day trouble?When a stranger to town demands they turn over an antique Underwood typewriter they’re repairing for a customer, Clare fears she may need to be rescued. A call to the police scares the man off, but later Clare finds his dead body in the back alley. What about a dusty old typewriter could possibly be worth killing for?

    It’s where I live and where a lot of other fairies live too. Yup, fairies.Cute, right? Except most of what you think you know about fairies is wrong. We aren’t sweet little things that flutter around singing songs and throwing fairy dust around. Okay, okay … some fairies fit this stereotype— not me. It might be because of the whole curse thing, but I’ll explain that later. Right now, I’ve got a dead body on my hands.Someone killed our mayor. And since I’m an agent for the Fairy World Bureau of Investigations, I kind of have to deal with it as part of the job description.Add in my best friend who owns the local salon, my eccentric grandmother and her doubly eccentric twin sister, and my oldest friend—a vampire cursed to live out the rest of his existence as a bumblebee bat—and you can see my life has all of the promises of a typical cozy paranormal story … except it’s a little more complicated than that.I’m Jade Honeyblossom: half witch, half wicked, full fairy. Welcome to my world.

    A few days later, the husband is found dead, his head bashed in. Fearing she’ll be considered the most likely suspect, the widow prevails upon Sydney and her three friends—Marianne, Kat and Micki—to find out who really killed him. Though none of these four fun-loving, take-charge retirees has any training as detectives, the women agree to launch a secret investigation. As they dig under the happy veneer of their community’s social life, they find more than enough suspects, from shady ladies to resentful golf buddies, to keep them looking over their shoulders. Could the murderer be lurking among the talent in a chaotic production put on by Sydney’s husband, who will do anything to keep busy in retirement? Could the sheriff, who may have more than a professional interest in chanteuse Kat, end up pinning the crime on the women instead? Each discovery during their investigations and their weekly mah jongg game keeps them running as they close in on the killer—but the killer may also be closing in on them. This cozy mystery, the first in the Mah Jongg Mystery series, features four retired amateur sleuths who live in the small Florida town of Serendipity Springs, all female and all friends who play the game of mah jongg together. Though they don't set out to investigate murder, after their first experience in this story, others start looking to them to help investigate subsequent homicides and questionable accidents. In this first book, Sydney Bonner takes the lead, although she turns to her three friends for help. Though this series features four protagonists, the others will take the lead in subsequent stories. Two are married, one is divorced and the fourth, who has been single all her life while she tended to her ailing mother, now finds herself the object of the sheriff's attention in this series. The four don't seek out murder; somehow the circumstances and those affected drag them in. Meanwhile, as they attempt to gather information, life goes on in their community in such activities as a women's club, a social group for those over 50, real estate transactions, numerous stops at the local coffeehouse, and even a shopping trip to Naples. Sydney's husband, Trip, and her friend Marianne Putnam's husband, Beau, are golf buddies who spend many a day on the course. When not there, Trip is busy seeking to build a new post retirement life, and Beau is often prevailed upon to join in Trip's latest activity, which in this first book is a town follies. Kat Faulkner has lived a frugal life until winning big in a lottery shortly after her mother's death; suddenly, Kat has money and doesn't know how to spend it. But her divorced friend and freelance writer, Micki Demetrius, does, even if it's to guide Kat through a makeover and wardrobe change for her lounge act. This cozy mystery is the first book in the Mah Jongg Mystery series. Barbara Barrett is already published in contemporary romance. She is a member of the Mystery/Romantic Suspense chapter of Romance Writers of America. Like her protagonists, she is retired and is a resident of Florida, although she spends her summers in her home state of Iowa. She spent over three decades as a human resource management analyst with Iowa state government. She can be contacted at barbarabarrett747@gmail.com. Check her website at barbarabarrettbooks.com.

    In a moment of sheer madness, she walks out of her job only to discover the opportunity for something different. She leaves behind her mundane life for the Oregon Coast and opens the 2nd Chance Diner. With her new life, she’ll do what it takes to succeed which is why she has to investigate the murder that occurs in her diner. Will she be able to discover the murderer before her second chance is destroyed? And just what will the price of that investigation be? Book 1 in the 2nd Chance Diner Mystery series! For fans of Carolyn Dean, Angela Blackmoore, and Agatha Frost. A light, cozy mystery with a snarky sidekick, a handsome detective, and fun friendships. No swearing, graphic scenes, or cliffhangers. The 2nd Chance Diner Cozy Mysteries Book 1: Spaghetti, Meatballs, & Murder Book 2: Cookies & Catastrophe Book 3: Poison & Pie Book 4: Double Mocha Murder And many more...this series is completed and there are 12 books available.

    From the moment she and newborn Laurie lock eyes, Kate can't imagine returning to work after her six-week maternity leave, but in expensive San Francisco, she and her ad exec husband, Jim, need every bit of both incomes. Then a dead body is fished out of the bay and linked to Jim's estranged brother, George. Both the police and PI Albert Galigani, hired by the dead man's mother, believe that Jim and Kate know more than they're revealing. Kate is determined to find the elusive George and get some answers, but she soon gets in over her head. Galigani serves as a charming mentor as Kate navigates the twists of motherhood and an uncomplicated but engaging plot. (Aug.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review "[AN] ENTERTAINING NEW SLEUTH." -GILLIAN ROBERTS, AUTHOR OF THE AMANDA PEPPER SERIES "A charming, gutsy, wry character who will make you laugh so hard you'll forget the labor pains." -LOUISE URE, SHAMUS AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR Book Description: A body has been dredged from the San Francisco Bay. Kate Connelly, pregnant and ready to pop, has reason to fear it may be her long lost brother-in-law. Battling sleep deprivation, diaper blowouts and breastfeeding mishaps she muddles through her own investigation, Mommy style: To do: 1. Find Killer 2. Figure out hideous breast pump. 3. Avoid cranky cop. 4. Send out Make birth announcements – need pink paper. 5. FIND KILLER

    The laidback, good old boy Sheriff Roscoe Fox feels smugly confident he’s got the right culprit, Megan Connors, locked up in his jail. It’s a feather in his cap to help give his re-election campaign for town sheriff a boost. However, not all the townies believe Sheriff Fox has so niftily solved Jake’s murder. Megan’s feisty septuagenarian aunts, Isabel and Alma Trumbo, are angry with Sheriff Fox. They decide they better roll up their sleeves and get busy doing some shrewd detective work. They are avid mystery fans with their large home library filled with every whodunit they’ve read, so they know the tricks a clever killer might employ. They befriend the twentysomething Sammi Jo Garner who takes no guff off anybody and becomes the sisters’s assistant as they snoop away and unravel Jake’s murder mystery. Isabel and Alma also enlist the aid of their other local friends, the Three Musketeers, who are the gray-haired benchwarmers on Main Street, and Sammi Jo’s eccentric aunt Phyllis Garner. Together, they follow the right clues to track down Jake’s actual killer and clear Megan’s name. Everybody wishes they had a determined, loyal pair of aunts like Isabel and Alma Trumbo in their corner. This first book launches the humorous cozy mystery series that offers a clean read and a traditional whodunit. Join Isabel and Alma when they set off on their new life adventure as amateur sleuths that is as fun and challenging for them as it is for the reader.

    Changed for the worst, that is, when the first thing I do is stumble upon a body.And the new detective in town happens to be the most eligible bachelor around. And my new boss’s grandson. I’ve signed on for way more than I’d ever wanted.With my job on the line, my black Lab at my side, and donuts in hand, my only choice is to follow the clues. But when footprints lead to evidence that doesn’t add up, I kick my natural nosiness into high gear.My life is a complete mess, but with my new passion for sniffing out clues, I might just solve this dirty whodunit before the wrong person is arrested.Grab yourself a huge helping of this clever new cozy mystery series. You’ll fall in love with Ellie Hart, her dog, and the cast of characters who keep her on her toes!

     Adult triplets Cassie, Callie and Lonnie Parker, have thrown their hearts and souls into planning the Scrabble tournament Callie is hosting at the local high school. But, when a bookcase full of dictionaries lands on a beloved teacher, murmurs of foul play threaten the entire competition. With the new-to-the-county detective, who doesn't know the townspeople yet and a school full of suspects, can these siblings work together to find the killer, keep everyone else safe, and move all the pieces into place to run spectacular tournament?

    But it was nothing compared to finding a dead body in her store.For the grand opening of her shop, the Seven Year Stitch, Marcy throws a soirée. Her friend Sadie, who owns the coffee shop down the street, provides the delicious refreshments, and the party goes swimmingly. Marcy’s registration sheet for embroidery classes fills up, and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass—or a needle—to support the shop.But the morning after the party, Marcy and Angus, her pooch, find a nasty surprise: The man who leased the shop before Marcy is lying dead in the storeroom, with a message scratched by a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy’s shop has become a crime scene, and she’s a suspect in the murder. But Marcy will be darned if she doesn’t get to the bottom of this mystery, because it’s starting to look as if someone’s intent on putting the final stitch in her.

    For most of those years, she's been in the habit of taking a brisk morning walk along the beach. Dead men have never been part of the scenery before.Aunt Bessie assumes that the dead man died of natural causes, then the police find the knife in his chest.Try as she might, Bessie just can't find anything to like about the young widow that she provides tea and sympathy to in the immediate aftermath of finding the body. There isn't much to like about the rest of the victim's family either.Aunt Bessie assumes that the police will have the case wrapped up in no time at all, then she finds a second body.Can Bessie and her friends find the killer before she ends up as the next victim?

    Scarlet Wilson's love life keeps tanking, no matter what she does. It’s pretty sad when the elderly ladies at the inn have a better romantic life than the forty-something innkeeper. Is she cursed when it comes to men, or is there something more sinister going on? As the tension builds in this psychological thriller, the wild ride sweeps her closer to a dark, sinister secret that threatens her whole family. A menacing note left in the garden, an unwelcome stranger claiming possession of her cousin’s home, a bloody body left on the snowy summit of White Oak Hill...."Miz Scarlet", the feisty former teacher, finds she's up to her eyeballs in questions and no real answers. Who's in danger and why? What does it have to do with the Jordan family, who disappeared without a trace? When one of “Miz Scarlet’s” dogs digs up clothing belonging to the Jordan children, her fears are only heightened. Enter Kenny Tolliver ("Captain Peacock"), the still-handsome hunk who captured “Miz Scarlet's” heart all those years ago in high school. Widowed, retired as Assistant Director of Public Safety at Princeton University, now working for Mercer Security, "Captain Peacock" has all kind of tricks up his sleeve. Good thing, because a second guest meets a gruesome death just as he arrives to take charge. Scarlet and Kenny seem to be on the fast track to rekindle their love until they run headlong into "Colonel Grey Poupon", Scarlet's annoying, twice-married brother. Even as Bur Wilson slides into fifty, the old sibling rivalry reignites. As brother and sister vie for Kenny's attention, things spiral out of control. Adding to the confusion, Kenny begins to suspect that his old high school chum is lying. Just how involved was Bur with one of the now-dead guests and what else is he keeping from them? As the distractions pile up, a series of bizarre attacks on the family escalates. Despite Kenny’s best efforts, Scarlet is snatched in the middle of the night in a terrifying episode that convinces her she’s the next victim. Secrets are buried deep and, like skeletons in the family closet, hidden from view. Is there a killer lurking inside the Four Acorns Inn? Will “Miz Scarlet”,” Captain Peacock”, and “Colonel Grey Poupon” solve the clues in time? Buy it now and find out!

    To her amazement, she discovers that she now owns a fifty-percent share in Bayside Books, and will also run the store’s second location in the majestic castle on nearby Blye Island.But just as Shelby is gearing up for the start of the tourist season, the Castle volunteer coordinator is found murdered in the nearby Grotto. Castle caretaker Matthew Kessler is suspect number one, but Shelby thinks the killing may be connected to an earlier era, when violence among Prohibition-era smugglers was rampant in the region. As Shelby launches her own investigation, handsome and unnerving Special Agent Zack Griffin of the Coast Guard Investigative Services tries to quell her smuggling theory and keep her safe. But Shelby is determined to summon all her savvy as a book editor to plot the murder—and find the killer before he strikes again—in Trouble on the Books, Essie Lang’s clever and captivating series debut.

    The door stood ajar, which was curious. Siobhan should have been at work. When Samantha peered in, she could just see the outline of two ominous figures skulking in the gloom. She gasped and slammed the door shut. Their muffled shouts were lost in her screams as she flew down the stairs into the howling rain. Suppressing her feelings of vulnerability, she accepts the proffered hand of a handsome stranger, Ben, and they disappear into the bitter night. Can Ben be trusted? He’s charming, personable and persuasive, but then again, so was Ted Bundy. Samantha has escaped with her life, Or has she? The victim of a brutal murder has been discovered!