There's a local election coming up in three days. Utah is running in that election, and she hoped to win.The scene of the murder couldn't be worse, either—only six people have a key to City Hall, and Utah O'Brien happens to be one of them.The sheriff is out of town on a more important case. If she's going to clear her name, regain her reputation and, hopefully, win that election, Utah and her friends need to unmask the real killer before the voting starts—and before anyone else gets killed.You'll like this book if you enjoy character-driven mysteries that include dogs who take an active, realistic role in the plot. It's filled with likable small-town characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. This is the first Utah O'Brien Minnesota Mystery. Almost non-stop drama and a fast moving plot kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish ... Really enjoyed the mix of the small town charm, and the fun cast of characters (loved Jocko too). "The Owl Thief" has an unpredictable plot, and a sassy and smart heroine in Utah, infused with a compelling storyline - felt really believable. Megan King—Goodreads

    Returning to the Paris hotel where he spent his honeymoon six years earlier, he decides to take what seems like the only way out - suicide. But a chance encounter with a Russian in a similar predicament leaves Nick with an unlikely obligation to fulfil, one that will take him to Italy, and offer him a chance at something like redemption. www.kevinwignall.com

    . . but what if your home is no longer there? Leaving her tiny flat in London -- and a whole host of headaches behind -- Lizzy Walter is making the familiar journey back home to spend Christmas with her chaotic but big-hearted family. In an ever-changing world, her parents' country home, Keeper House, is the one constant. But behind the mistletoe and mince pies, family secrets and rivalries lurk. And when David, the Love of Her Life -- or so she thought -- makes an unexpected reappearance, this one ranks as a Christmas she would definitely rather forget.As winter slowly turns to spring, all the things that Lizzy has taken for granted begin to shift. Keeper House is in jeopardy and might have to be sold for reasons Lizzy doesn't understand. Her family seems fractured like never before. And, with a new man in her life, she may finally have to kiss her dream of a reunion with David good-bye. By the time the Walters gather at Keeper House for a summer wedding, the stakes have never been higher -- for Lizzy, for her family, and for love.

    A murder will make sure of that. The town Sheriff is fat, happy, and useless. Just like his daddy before him and his dad before that. Ethel and Velma Harmon should know. They’ve been around for all three. These two seventy-something sisters-in-law refuse to let their ages slow them down. Especially when there’s a mystery to get tangled up in. The only thing that takes their time away from the whole ball of yarn is, well, a ball of yarn. Crochet class can’t be missed. No matter what. But keeping things on track isn’t easy. Not with old high school boyfriends that still think they’re eighteen and overly friendly mailmen offering up winks. Throw in a dead candidate for mayor, a gender-confused cat, and a splinter-giving park bench, and you’re in for one heck of a time. Come fall in love with these two funny old ladies as they solve the small-town crime of who killed the new guy running for mayor, and make blankets, shawls, and the occasional pair of panties—one stitch at a time.

    Aubyn's wonderful, wry, and profound Patrick Melrose Cycle, follows five-year-old Patrick through a single day, as the Melrose family awaits the arrival of guests. Bright and imaginative, young Patrick struggles daily to contend with the searing cruelty of his father and the resignation of his embattled mother. But on this day he must endure an unprecedented horror—one that splits his world in two. In Never Mind, St. Aubyn renders this vivid tragedy with profound grace and precision, and introduces us to the unforgettable, complex figure of Patrick Melrose.

    The café is a hub for many people: the single dad who brings his little boy in on a Saturday morning; the lady who sits alone and stares out to sea; the woman who pops in after her morning run.Jo soon realises that each of her customers is looking for love - and she knows just the way to find it for them. She goes about setting each of them up on blind dates - each date is held in the café, with a special menu she has designed for the occasion.But Jo has never found love herself. She always held her grandparents' marriage up as her ideal and she hasn't found anything close to that. But could it be that love is right under her nose...?

    Not just because she’s been working all hours in her job, but also because every holiday she has ever been on in her life has involved sunburn, arguments and projectile vomiting – sometimes all three at once. Why can’t she have a normal holiday, like other people seem to have – some sun, sand, sea and (hopefully) sex?So when her employers invite her to attend a conference with them in the south of France, she can’t believe her luck. It’s certainly going to be the holiday of a lifetime – but not quite in the way Evie imagines!

    It tells the story of Bailey, from her own viewpoint, who begins her life in circumstances beyond her control. She longs for love and to live in home where she will be cared for. This short story follows her adventures from her start and through the trials she faces to reach her Forever Home. This is the first book of a new series that will introduce you to Bailey and each of her friends and how they all find their way home. I hope you enjoy her journey.

    Marcus wants nothing more than to indulge in drink, drugs and women.But when he meets the plot-holders on the Butterfly Lane allotments--Sophia, a charming, but troubled, woman in the midst of a spiritual crisis; Alex, his fiery, Greek neighbour, who covets both Marcus’s plot and a mysterious book that belonged to his grandfather; and Benjamin, a shadowy recluse--the reason for his inheritance becomes clear.

    Her father’s best friend, on the other hand, has a penchant for vodka, strip clubs, and moral philosophy. Aneliya is torn between love of the former and passion for the latter.When an angelic presence named Xstabeth enters their lives Aneliya and her father’s world is transformed.A short, stylish novel with a big heart, humor, Xstabeth moves from Russia to Scotland, touching upon the pathos of Russian literature and the Russian soul, the power of art and music to shape reality, and the metaphysics of golf while telling a moving father-daughter story in highly-charged, torrential prose.

    You can get free copies of the next two stories in this series by signing up to my newsletter at www.gillianlarkin.co.uk Julia Blake runs her own cleaning business. The first time she sees a dead body is when she discovers one of her clients, Mark Castle, lying dead on the floor of his luxury apartment. She remembers things that Mark mentioned to her a few days before his death, things he was worried about. A bottle of pills is lying open at Mark’s side, but they’re not his usual ones. And why is his computer playing a continuous game? Julia soon suspects that Mark was murdered. He was a good friend and she is determined to find out who killed him.

     A young, beautiful woman, Norah Travis, has been found murdered in one of the rooms with no witnesses and seemingly no motive. Detective Inspector Graham, a man with a singular drive, a penchant for tea, and silent demons of his own, has been brought in to ferret out the perpetrator. Joining Sergeant Harris at the sprawling estate, the duo set their caps to solving a mystery that leaves them frustrated. It’s a “whodunit” of crafty design with suspects on all sides and nothing clear cut. The proprietors, Amelia and Cliff, have jokes to share and almost nothing to hide, while their long time guest, Tim, seems shiftier. There is an ex-husband, a housekeeper, an old man, and questions galore. But who could it be? It’s a conundrum. The Case of the Screaming Beauty is a modern murder mystery with an old fashioned feel; a story for fans of Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, and CSI. Enjoy! Interview with the Author of the Series Q – So, what makes the Inspector David Graham series special? A – When I set out to write these books, I wanted to create something that played like a movie in the reader’s mind. They are books with action, but also soul. They are ensemble pieces containing regular characters that are well drawn with strong personalities, humor and some tragedy. The Inspector David Graham books feel, to me, like good friends that never let me down. Every time we sit down to plan the books, I love to find out what the characters are going to get up to next! The Inspector David Graham books are a great mix of genres. They sit firmly in the cozy mystery category and are set on the beautiful island of Jersey in the English Channel between Britain and France. They feature a British detective who is part-Sherlock Holmes, part-Poirot, and, of course, uniquely himself. Q - In what order should I read the books? A – The Inspector David Graham cozy mysteries can be read, and enjoyed, in any order. The Case of the Screaming Beauty is a prequel to the other books in the series and is set on the mainland. All the books are complete mysteries. I’ve made sure not to include any spoilers for those who are new to the characters and any existing fans of Graham’s adventures will still find plenty of fresh action and mystery as well as perhaps a few answers. All in all, there is something for everyone. The events in this prequel take place a few weeks before The Case of the Hidden Flame, the first book in the Inspector David Graham series of cozy mysteries. If you do want to read them in order, I'd suggest the following sequence: – The Case of the Screaming Beauty (prequel) – The Case of the Hidden Flame – The Case of the Fallen Hero Q – Why should readers give these books a try? A – Because the Inspector Graham series is a gentle, but colorful romp through the wealthy but isolated English island, a place that is picturesque and peaceful but one filled with amoral and snobbish eccentrics with all kinds of vices. Graham is a complex character who is intriguing from the get-go and yet evolves throughout the series while his sidekicks are worthy, interesting characters in their own right.

    Switching points of view among many characters, she builds with accumulating effect the picture of life in a town forgotten by time yet affected dramatically by it. Historical time- represented by Druid ruins, the local eighteenth-century country manor, and the last aristocrats who occupied it in the 1920s- is juxtaposed against the banalities of life in today's world.

    Usually when I tell people that they laugh and ask me what my real name is. I just look them dead on and repeat, 'Free.' I left my old name behind with my old life; shed both of them like a useless layer of skin. When I stepped free of that world, I took the name Free. It is my real name. I picked it myself. What could be more real than that?"Since leaving home at the age of 18, Free has traveled the country searching for home. Her travels afford a variety of experiences, from following the Grateful Dead to waitressing in Chicago to selling jewelry in New Orleans' French Market, but nothing seems to quell her sense of unrest. All the while her estranged brother Alfie is in her thoughts. Once she finds him, perhaps she'll finally feel at home. But her world is filled with bad choices and unsavory characters, and she finds that freedom sometimes comes at a cost. The reader will feel as if they are traveling right alongside Free in this moving coming-of-age story.

    Really busy.With her petsitting client, Ralph the pug, at her side, Annie is running around town walking dogs, training greyhounds, organizing puppy classes, and taking energetic Vizlas for runs. And it's all to save money for and build interest in her not-yet-named dog store, the business she's dreamed of for years.But Annie's plans change when she finds out that the death of local pawn shop owner, George Appleby, has been ruled a suicide. She knows that there's at least one person in town who will benefit from Appleby's death: Chet West, the real estate mogul who's trying to buy up all the small businesses in her little town and replace them with chain stores and tourist destinations. And one day soon the small store going out of business might be her own. Now Annie's determined to figure out what happened to Appleby and how Chet West is involved - even if the police don't care. And the more she and Ralph run around chasing down leads and sniffing out suspects, the more Annie realizes that Little Nectar, Connecticut, is not the wholesome little town she thought it was.Peril at the Pawn Shop is Book 1 of the light-hearted Walk in the Bark cozy mystery series. It features:...an amateur detective whose spunk is liable to get her in trouble...a pug who snores in his sleep...a small town full of quirky characters...a mystery that will keep you guessing until you turn that last page...no foul language, cliffhangers, or gore Scroll up and buy it now!