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Bayou Backup by Mary Hiker


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My Sinful Valentine


Anna Snow - 2015
    Deserts, jungles, even held captive by the enemy, and never lost her cool, but when town loud-mouth, Celia Arceneaux, confronts her about her lack of domestic ability in front of her main squeeze Deputy Carter LeBlanc, Fortune let’s her mouth write a check she knows she can’t cash. Now, with Valentine’s Day only a day away, and no idea how to cook a meal fit for a king, or a hunky deputy to be exact, she needs help… and a lot of it. With her partners in crime, Ida Bell and Gertie, and their friend, culinary genius Ally by her side, they’ll help her either create a night Carter will never forget, or one they all wish they could.

The Body in the Bog


J.L. Johnson - 2015
    The story is set immediately following the events in her first book of the series, 'Louisiana Longshot.' What is it with this town and bones? Fortune Redding can't believe her bad luck in discovering bones, human bones. Fortune already knows Ida Belle and Gertie, founding members of the Sinful Ladies Society, are knee-deep in secrets, but she's about to find out exactly how stubborn they can be. They refuse to tell her anything about the body in the bog, except that it's a secret they've kept for over 40 years. With the two of them unwilling to to tell her anything, Fortune must discover the secret surrounding these particular bones and the reason the mystery needs to remain hidden. Because where better than Sinful, Louisiana for a mystery of such magnitude to remain hidden all these years? And who better to keep it hidden than the remarkable women of the Sinful Ladies Society?

Hiding in the Bayou


Riley Blake - 2015
    Convinced Carter didn’t commit the crime, Fortune turns to Ida Belle for help. In the meantime, Gertie tries a dangerous stunt and lands in the hospital. While there, she takes time to piece together a murder clearly executed by amateurs but the motive isn’t what it seems.

Overdue


Shari Hearn - 2018
    It is now part of the Miss Fortune World published by J&R Fan Fiction. I wish to thank Ms. DeLeon for graciously allowing other writers to explore their own writing in a most Sinful way.Sinful Stories is a series of stories written by Shari Hearn within the Miss Fortune World featuring Fortune, Gertie and Ida Belle. They may be read in any order; however, they do follow the timeline of Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune series with regard to Fortune's relationship with Carter. With the earlier books in the series, Carter doesn't know Fortune's true identity. As Jana DeLeon's series changes with regard to Fortune's continued threat from Ahmad, future stories within Sinful Stories will reflect those changes.Currently, the stories within Sinful Stories include:Nearly DepartedMutiny on the BayouOverdueNearly BelovedRematchLeaving SinfulMurder on the Sinful Express

Bloodshed in the Bayou


Leslie Langtry - 2015
    Life is good until the father who abandoned her as an infant turns up dead in the swamp. Who else can help her but Ida Belle, Gertie and Fortune? And they've got their work cut out for them as they try to solve two mysteries - who Hugo Ancelet really was, and who killed him?

Fortune and Fame


Mark Len Mayfield - 2016
    Shortly after a second murder in Sinful had been solved, Fortune believes she has recognized a woman, now going by the name Georgia Fame, who has been using her affections to prey on well-to-do elderly men, leaving them heartbroken, penniless and sometimes even... dead. Ingeniously clever, the woman has alluded authorities for decades and Fortune soon begins to understand why. With Ida Belle and Gertie at her side, the swamp team begin to build their case but the woman always covers her tracks and stays one step ahead of them. Fortune gets close but Georgia always manages to stay just out of reach. When she realizes her suspect may get away forever, she tries one last act of desperation. “Fortune and Fame” is fast-paced, filled with humor, romance, twists and turns. From KindleWorld’s Mark Len Mayfield, author of the Wayward Pines novel, “The Journey of Peter McCall.”

Bayou Bubba


Sam Cheever - 2015
    Together, they follow a trail of gold coins to Sinful, Louisiana, where a homeless guy named Bayou Bubba turns up dead with an alligator tooth in his hand and a gold coin between his teeth. Is Bubba Miss Chance’s long lost father? Or will the mystery of his disappearance suck her down into the bogs of the Bayou, and ruin her favorite purse?

Slip and Go Die


Sharon Rose - 2012
    A terrible accident say the local police. But why did Beulah leave her cabin without a coat? It was thirty below in Parson's Cove. Someone must have forced her, amateur sleuth, Mabel Wickles suggests to her friend, Flori. Nobody seems to know anything, and Mabel is becoming frustrated.When Mabel witnesses some strange goings-on one night in the vacant house next door, she perks up. A person or persons unknown appear to be using the empty house for nefarious purposes. Could they be connected to Beulah's death? Mabel suspects they might and she sets out to investigate.But Mabel should be cautious. One unsuspecting resident of Parson's Cove has already slipped and died. She might be next.

Sinful Dreams


J.K. Hage - 2018
    She imagined spending days at the café while learning about the relaxed southern lifestyle from retirees Ida Belle and Gertie.However, Sinful isn't the sleepy little town she expected. While Pepper is busy trying to educate southern taste buds about the beauty of sweet iced coffee, she also ends up in the middle of murder and kidnapping.And she meets Jaxson, the hottest man south of the Mason-Dixon line. Problem is, Pepper has just decided to get her life together without a man.But this Yankee schoolteacher can't stop herself from dreaming...NOTE: This quick-read novella is licensed fan fiction available as part of Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune World. It was previously published under the same title through the Kindle Worlds program. Many thanks to Ms. DeLeon for allowing authors to tell new stories and create characters within her world!

A Fatal Visit


Emily Page - 2016
    He has no local ties and lying next to his body oddly enough, was a bag full of money. As word spreads of what seems to be murder lacking an obvious motive, this sparks the interest of freelance reporter Skyler Avery. Working as a reporter and writing for the local paper, Skyler is ready to delve deep into the most recent "event." She enlists the help of a lawyer at a local firm, Nichole Chambers. Skyler and Nichole work feverishly and eventually narrow their list down to three main suspects. Just when they thought they found the killer, everything changes. Were their instincts right or does the chilling answer lie with someone else?

Facade (Iris Reid Mystery #2)


Susan Cory - 2016
    One of the girl's last visits was to Xander DeWitt, Harvard's handsome guest starchitect, who denies that they ever met. Only Iris can provide an alibi that will allow DeWitt to keep his perfect life, but can she actually vouch for his innocence? KIRKUS says: "Cory gleefully breezes through subplots and twists with a resourceful protagonist at the helm...Supporting characters are outstanding...the ending is bound to surprise."

Jumbalaya


Aunt Tillie - 2018
    Meanwhile, a dark and blurry photograph puts the entire town on high alert, and the election recount goes Sinfully haywire. It's all fun and games until bodies start turning up... and Fortune might just be the next victim.Fan Fiction: works written by adoring fans of the original author, using the original author's characters and settings. Jana DeLeon has graciously allowed certain authors to write in her world and Aunt Tillie is proud to be one of them. Jumbalaya was Tillie's first effort, and she hopes you will enjoy this and other stories by fan fiction authors. The timelines for these stories may not coincide with current Jana DeLeon stories, but they should fit almost anywhere within the Miss Fortune series.

Body in the Bayou


Morgan Draper - 2015
     Unlucky Lizzy, as she's called by those who know of her close relationship with misfortune, is headed to Sinful, Louisiana, to get her life back on track. But a missed bus, a squished sandwich, and screeching tires mark her dramatic entry into the world of Gertie, Ida Belle, and CIA-assassin-in-hiding Fortune “Sandy-Sue Morrow” Redding. When Lizzy reveals the nature of the job she's on her way to take up at a big, lonely, old house, the three Sinful ladies become suspicious, especially as Lizzy hints that she's learned something creepy about her new boss and says that he wants her to keep everything hush-hush. Things only get worse when the group arrives at the house, as Fortune discovers a body in the bayou, at the back of the compound. A string of revelations and further events send off alarm bells for Fortune, prompting the Swamp Team 3 to spring into action. Will they be able to act fast enough to save the life of a newcomer to Sinful who's clueless about the imminent danger that looms? Lizzy narrates this hilarious, breezy adventure which is chock-full of twists and turns that promise to take you by surprise. The events in “Body in the Bayou” take place between books six and seven in Jana Deleon's Miss Fortune Mystery Series Q & A with Morgan Draper Q: How would you describe “Body in the Bayou”? Morgan: It's a cozy murder mystery that takes place in the world created by Jana Deleon, author of the Miss Fortune Mystery Series. It imagines the thrills and spills that follow when Fortune and the Geritol Mafia become acquainted with a stranger nicknamed Unlucky Lizzy, who thinks of herself as a magnet for disaster. It's a quick, fun read. Q: Explain how you came to write a book based on Jana's series. Morgan: Jana dreamed up the delightful town of Sinful, Louisiana, and populated it with a wonderful mix of oddball characters. Jana has generously opened up her world and invited other authors to use her characters and setting as a base to explore their creativity and come up with their own stories. I had a blast with these characters and wish to thank Jana for the opportunity to play in the Sinful sandbox. Q: Why do you think readers should spend time with these characters? Morgan: Despite appearances, these women are sassy, intelligent, and deadly when they need to be. But there's also a tender vulnerability evident as they grapple with their romantic side. And it's easy to get caught up in their growing friendships. They don't back away from trouble, and when they get together, you can be sure that quite a romp will follow. In this novella, Fortune displays the toughness of a trained CIA-assassin that Jana Deleon breathed into her, and she also has a some of the characteristics of an amateur woman sleuth in the Agatha Christie mold. Q: Is “Body in the Bayou” a one-off or will you be returning to Sinful in another novella? Morgan: I love to laugh, and the world could certainly do with more humor. So, yes, there'll absolutely be more adventures with Unlucky Lizzy mixing up her kind of crazy with the gang from Sinful.

Fortune and Fame


Stephen John - 2018
    She remembers the story of a southen woman named Georgia Fame, who seeks out older men, steals their money and leaves them penniless or dead. The problem is, only Ida Belle and Gertie believe her and Georgia has learned to cover her tracks. Ignoring her orders to lay low, the three ladies are once again on the clock as they try to track down Georgia Fame before she strikes again. Fortune pulls out all the tricks in her bag to find the killer and she begins to zero in as the clock ticks down, but will it be in time?

A Cornish Revenge


Rena George - 2013
    Does the killing have some bizarre link to Cornwall’s past?A Cornish Revenge is the first in the Loveday Ross Mystery Series.These others, also currently available as eBooks on Amazon are A Cornish Kidnapping and A Cornish Vengeance.Book Description:A bleak Cornish clifftop strewn with the derelict remains of old tin mines.It seems to magazine editor, Loveday Ross, an odd place for an art class, but then her artist friend, Lawrence Kemp, had been acting strangely recently.As her camera clicks, taking pictures for the article she’s planning, a grim sight emerges from the receding tide far below.It’s the body of a man!He’s been tied hand and foot into the shingle cove - deliberately left to drown!But why has the discovery made Lawrence so edgy?And why are his students, Kit Armitage and Abbie Grainger, so affected by the killing?Detective Inspector Sam Kitto doesn’t appreciate finding a journalist at the murder scene, and Loveday isn't happy being a suspect.