Book picks similar to
Murder Now & Then by Diana Jackson


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Fetch a Pail of Murder


Constance Barker - 2017
    While the hunt has twists and turns, the girls never lose sight of their goal...to outwit the local Police Department and form their own sleuthing group...The We're Not Dead Yet Club. Join the fun as this mismatched group of friends and their men cohorts search for clues and almost end up in the hoosegow and the local cemetery.

He Made Me (a Booker & Cash Story Book 2)


Oliver Tidy - 2017
    Someone is demanding a lot of money from her husband and she wants to know why.What do the dying words of one man - he made me - actually mean?As the mystery unfolds people will come undone and reputations will be ruined before the answer becomes clear.At the end of the day Mrs Swaine might end up wishing she’d let sleeping dogs lie… Also available in the Booker & Cash series: Bad Sons

The Devil Drives A Jaguar


Suzanne Downes - 2014
    His latest case is intriguing and he gets perhaps a little too involved. Libby Richmond doesn’t believe in ghosts, messages from beyond the grave or any other superstitious nonsense – but when she returns to the old Derbyshire farmhouse to nurse her Great Aunt Lillian through the last stages of terminal illness, she finds all her beliefs turned upside down. Lil wants to discover the truth behind a long-ago family scandal before she dies – and Libby finds herself being drawn in until she too is obsessed with the outcome. Decima Watkins was hanged in 1859 for poisoning three of her older sisters. Now it seems she wants revenge! Libby realizes that there can be no happy ending to this story. Either Decima was a pathetic victim of her father’s fury and a gross miscarriage of justice, or she was the cold-blooded murderess of her own siblings. Whatever the truth, she appears to be taking out her anger on Libby, even managing to inflict physical harm on her hapless descendant. But what is really happening at Hill Farm? Libby has upset quite a few people by supporting Lil when the general opinion is that she should go quietly to a hospice and die there. Is the culprit one of those angry with Libby’s interference? Is it Brendan, the boyfriend she dumped to run off to Derbyshire to be with Lil? Or is Libby simply losing her grip on reality? DI Piper is the one who has to discover the truth when he arrests her and listens to her incredible tale.

The Tide Washed Her Away (Jessica Carter Mysteries Book 1)


J. Moriarty - 2015
    Some remembered her as the innocent daughter of a local minister, while others whispered rumors about a recent lascivious turn. Was she really the 'other woman' who came between her friends' engagement? Is it true she convinced someone to give up a life of crime? Did she really spend time in jail for a DUI? After failing to maintain a blogging career, Jessica Carter must return to her home town of Hampton, New Hampshire. The place is nice enough: a beautiful summer destination with sandy beaches, a touristy boardwalk and a cozy, small-town atmosphere. But Jessica knows coming home means owning up to her mistakes and mending relationships with everyone she left behind. Corinne's death brings Jessica closer to her former friends, but as she digs into Corinne's life, she exposes dark secrets her friends wish would remain hidden. Caught between her investigation and her friends, Jessica seeks to answer the one question everyone else seems content to leave unresolved: who knew the real Corinne, and why would someone want her dead?

Too Many Secrets (Roxanne Boudreaux Trilogy #1)


E.B. Corbin - 2017
     Roxanne Boudreaux never knew her Aunt Roxy existed until notified of the woman’s death. Named as the sole heir to her aunt’s estate, the Pittsburgh tax attorney finds herself in a world of danger she never anticipated.  Intent on securing a partnership in her law firm, Roxanne dismisses her inheritance as irrelevant. But after an abrupt end to a serious relationship, she travels to Oilville, PA and reluctantly accepts help from DSS Agent John Callahan. They encounter several deadly obstacles including a member of the Irish Republican Army sent to retrieve money hidden years ago. Roxanne has no idea what to do with her small-town legacy when a shocking revelation from her mother adds to Roxanne’s confusion. As the chaos in her life grows, can she overcome both the threats and turmoil? Will she let Callahan defend her or go it alone?

A Confusion of Murders


Marina Johnson - 2017
    A brother obsessed with his looks, a dog that thinks it’s human and a happy though, dull routine. Until that is, her father starts talking nonsense and she makes a shocking discovery about herself. Not to mention the strange events occurring in Frogham – a missing person and a case of dog-napping. And then, on top of everything Louise finds romance in the unlikeliest place....

A VERY MODEL MURDER: An Inspector Rudolph Riley Mystery


Jack G. Hills - 2017
    But to add further angst to the growing list of gruesome killings is his boss’ decision to re-open the cold case involving the disappearance of a school boy in what has become an annual test of endurance… The Ten Tors Race. Unsure why a twenty year old case has suddenly come to the top of his in tray, his suspicions are aroused further when the murder victims all appear to have been school friends of the missing boy. Adamant that coincidences don’t exist in police work Riley sets about trying to find the link between Sam Haldane’s disappearance and the recent killings, other than the obvious connection of friendship. Added to his troubles, is the presence in the area of a fugitive, who has his own ideas about revenge and justice and an unscrupulous developer, who wants to buy the land surrounding his farm and turn it into a theme park, with scant regard for the history or the people who were thrown off their land prior to D Day. With the disappearance of the schoolboy and the final showdown all set around the infamous Fox Tor Mire, which was allegedly the inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle’s Grimpen Mire in the Hound of the Baskervilles, the murderer is finally revealed but not without one final twist of the plot. But in all the blackness and soul searching there is one ray of brightness for Riley, and its one that will bring him a little closer to his brother and shows a different side to the curmudgeonly detective.

Promises, Promises


Keiron Cosgrave - 2018
     A dark and chilling story of a family torn apart by abuse, greed and betrayal. Boarding school pupils, Kate and Rose, plot revenge and ambush their abuser and brutally mutilate him. Now an adult, Kate’s family is tearing itself apart. Her wealthy father, James, reveals a disturbing secret that has cursed his marriage to their mother, Mary, for decades. After a string of sordid affairs, James and Mary agree to divorce. James has changed his will, bequeathing all of his wealth to Kate’s elder sister, Samantha. When James is found dead at the family’s Spanish villa, doubt hangs over the circumstances of his death. Is it simply an open and shut case for the Police, or something far more sinister? Then, as other family members disappear or are found murdered, DI Alan Wardell, faces a race against time to solve the crimes and catch the mysterious serial killer before the whole family is wiped out. A dark psychological thriller that will keep you guessing till the end...

Artifice


Patrick Gooch - 2018
    But an unscrupulous trader in works of art knows their true worth; and exploits the situation, involving Cleverden in his shady activities. A major heist is planned by the trader, which first necessitates the theft of many of Turner`s paintings. These are held to ransom in exchange for priceless artifacts displayed in the British Museum. Once again, Alan Cleverden is unwittingly swept up in this unlawful venture. One word to the authorities, he would most certainly serve time. A pawn in a highly-charged affair, the odds are against him as he tries to free himself from the trader`s clutches; ensure the safety of the Turners; and return to their original owners the paintings acquired by his grandfather during the Second World War. A fast-paced thriller, Artifice is a must read for those who appreciate fine art, and are drawn to mysteries that hold you spellbound to the very last page. Patrick Gooch has enjoyed an interesting and varied career. He studied History of Art, and went on to lecture at the Central School of Art and Design in London. Patrick worked in marketing, travelling throughout Europe and Central and South America. It was while travelling that he began writing. Married with two sons, he lives close to the Ashdown Forest in East Sussex. “Absorbing and convincing heist thriller” Kevin McManus, author of 'New Blood'.

Small Town Saboteurs


Hope Callaghan - 2021
    “If you like clean mysteries that keep you guessing until the end, you’ll love the Garden Girls!”Garden Girls - The Golden Years is the brand new spin-off series of the Garden Girls Mystery series.You’ll enjoy the same fun-loving characters as they solve mysteries in the cozy town of Belhaven. Each book will focus on one of the Garden Girls as they enter their “golden years.”Small Town Saboteurs -Book 4 is Dot’s story.

Butler's Justice (Monroe T. Lovett Legal Thriller Series Book 1)


Perry Perrett
    There’s only one problem; no one seems to know who Monroe Lovett is, and to make matters worse, he hasn’t had a single client. His sole hope is that just one person will hire him.That hope is answered when in walks Ashley Butler. Monroe is so glad to see her, happy to have a someone in need of his service that he jumps at the opportunity to represent her. Little does he realize, Ashley’s case will pit him against forces wanting his client convicted. Her case will open the closest to the Butler family’s secrets.Ashley Butler’s problems started when adultery and accusations led to a single rash act that ended in murder. In a matter of seconds, an argument climaxed with Julie, Marcus Butler Jr.'s mistress, dead.The Lane County Sheriff’s Department receives a tip of hearing what sounded like gunshots coming from inside the Butler home. Minutes later, deputies arrived to find Julie's body lying on the bedroom floor. The ill-tempered Detective Carson investigates the crime scene and upon leaving gets a tip that Ashley is the killer. The detective attains an arrest warrant and puts out an all-points bulletin for the arrest of Ashley Butler.Ashley hears from a friend that deputies are looking for her. Knowing her husband’s family, she seeks the help of the only person she believes she can trust, Lane County's newest defense attorney, Monroe T. Lovett. Knowing that her husband’s father, Marcus Sr., holds power over most of Lane County, she's not even sure Monroe can help her. But he's her only hope.Speaking with Monroe in his office, Ashley explains that she is about to be arrested for murdering her husband's girlfriend. After she tells him of her predicament, and with only a few details, Monroe, in desperate need of a client, agrees to take her case. Soon, he learns Ashley isn't just any client, and he will have to fight to save her life.To make matters worse, Monroe will face Lane County’s District Attorney Robert Breaux. Breaux. Monroe will discover that Robert Breaux is a self-serving, egotistical district attorney, who is interested in one thing—winning. Justice is not Breaux's goal. Convictions translate into votes and those votes to lead to him gaining more political clout.Monroe soon finds himself in over his head. A godsend in the person of Herman (Herm) Edwards, a retired New Orleans detective and a native of Peregrine offers to help Monroe. Monroe is skeptical, knowing that Edwards is from the area. In need of help, Monroe, with the urging of his wife, Debbie, decides to hire Herm. But he still unsure of Herm’s allegiances. Trust issues arise between them as suspicions of a possible corrupt sheriff's department is trying to impede Ashley’s case.As Monroe’s case begins to unravel, Monroe is forced to seek a different approach to prove Ashley's innocence. This new tactic lands him right in the middle of the Butler family secret, a secret that even Ashley does not know about. No one in Lane County knows the truth the Butlers have been hiding for years, and Monroe is ready to rip the door off the closet. To stop him, Marcus Butler Sr., the family patriarch, will do whatever he must to keep the closet locked.To stop Monroe, Marcus Butler Sr. forms some new alliances to ensure his secrets stay buried. His new ties include a man named Félix Roche, a man who has many aliases and a sinister reputation with more than one agenda.Only the truth can free Ashley, but finding the truth will mean revealing her past, a past she would just as soon forget. However, Monroe encourages her, convincing her this is the only avenue to freedom. Monroe’s plan? Go after the patriarch, Marcus Butler Sr., and expose the man and the Butler family secrets. It is the only way Butler's justice will prevail.

The Dead Of Winter


Billy McLaughlin - 2017
    The finger of blame is cast so easily, but one house on Golf Road conceals a secret that is about to blow the truth wide open. Gripping, suspenseful and chilling to the bone, the families in this small community are about to find their lives changed forever.

Death of an Earl: Golden Age Mystery (Catherine Tregowyn Mysteries Book 5)


G.G. Vandagriff - 2021
    

PUSHING UP PURPLE DAISIES


Amanda Glenn - 2011
    Three times married, twice widowed, once divorced, she live beach side on the Oregon coast. The purchase of a bargain lid for her septic tank occasions the discovery of the body of a local real estate developer/good old boy. The local sheriff, a poker playing buddy of the deceased could be the killer The sheriff likes her friend Rob, the business partner of the dead man for the deed.

A Murderous Valentine (Admiral Shackleford Mystery #1)


Beverley Watts - 2021
    Having been instrumental in improving the lives of so many (his words - others might be inclined to call it something slightly different...), he was struggling to reignite the spark in his own love life with the feisty Mabel. Short on ideas, he decides to gatecrash his much put upon former Master At Arms and best friend Jimmy Noon's Valentine idea and ends up in the middle of a murder mystery weekend... where real murder is on someone else's script. Stranded in the middle of nowhere with a hotel full of potential murderers, the unstoppable duo embark on a series of blundering escapades in an attempt to uncover the Murderous Valentine... The Admiral and Jimmy may be more Laurel and Hardy than Holmes and Watson, but can they catch a murderer...? This humorous cozy mystery short read is the first in The Admiral Shackleford Mysteries.