The Back Stories feature NYPD Detective Stephanie Chalice in the days before you first met her. She’s righteous, rambunctious, and oh so ready . . . for anything. A woman is dead, a suspect is in custody, and the case seems ironclad, but all is not as it appears. Chalice soon finds herself embroiled in a deadly game of fraud, conspiracy, and deception. The body count is about to rise and the only thing standing between the murderer and his next victim is a headstrong rookie detective with a sixth sense for solving crime.

    Each day, victims are found stabbed with their clothes removed and their faces ripped off. A verse from the carol is daubed on the wall in blood. Will Quigg find the killer before he is forced to resign? Also, Quigg must choose between two women, or must he? And can he persuade the Chief to let Sergeant Begone be his partner on a permanent basis?

    

     Daisy McDare is busy nursing a broken heart, trying to build up her interior decorator business, and baking cookies when murder strikes Cozy Creek. At first she leaves the investigation to Chris Crumple, the local bumbling police detective. But when Crumple arrests the wrong suspect, Daisy takes the investigation into her own hands. Cracking the case won't be easy. She'll need help from her pastry-baking best friend Samantha, her wise-cracking Granny Annie, and her trusty West Highland Terrier Shamus.

    A popular English teacher who gave Mathematics tuitions to her senior students.The principal of Rituparna’s school is shocked to hear of her demise. She had resigned only a month ago – rather abruptly through an email. And vanished without warning.As Inspector Jui Roy investigates her first big case after being side-lined for years, she stumbles upon Rituparna’s diary. In her diary, the young, brilliant and popular school teacher mentions three men.One, her ex-husband Mrinal Chatterjee. An alcoholic and fledgling actor who had a love-hate relationship with his wife.Two, her colleague, the Mathematics teacher Virendra Jha who was losing a chunk of his tuitions to the new English teacher.Three, Paul Jamatia, the eighteen-year-old, poor resident student who is a Maths genius in the making.While Inspector Roy and SI Das investigate the murder, the three men reveal why they loved, hated and wanted Rituparna.Only one of them is a murderer.But, the question is who and why?With this book, we see the rise of Inspector Jui Roy and her partner in solving crime, SI Pritam Das.

    

    William Bernhardt, author of seven bestselling novels featuring attorney Ben Kincaid, asked ten of his fellow lawyer/authors to contribute their most fiendishly clever short pieces for this anthology, and told them their imaginations were their only guides.  The result is Legal Briefs, a smorgasbord of stories boasting a wonderful variety of themes and styles.  From John Grisham's exploration of a doctor's guilt in "The Birthday" to Richard North Patterson's story of a lawyer's loyalty to his mentor in "The Client," to Grif Stockley's tale of a divorce lawyer who learns the hard way that things are not always what they seem, these pieces showcase the extraordinary depth and breadth of talent among the new breed of legal thriller writers.Some of these stories feature twisting and inventive plots; some illuminate the moral dilemmas and psychological complexities faced by the modern-day lawyer; some are good, old-fashioned yarns.  But for all their diversity of approaches and characters, these writers understand that the courtrooms and law firms from which they came offer the raw material for the most dramatic, suspenseful stories you can read.Legal Briefs will be a delight for fans of all these bestselling authors, and a splendid introduction to their talents for readers new to the genre.  Author proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to the Children's Defense Fund.From the Hardcover edition.

    From Pulpville Press.

    My name is Virginia, although I live in Georgia... Atlanta, to be precise. Two years ago I happily clutched my degree in Hospitality Management, smug with the knowledge that I would always have job security because no matter what, people would always travel, right? And then the pandemic happened. It's hard to complain about losing my job in the midst of so much tragedy, but it came on the heels of a bad breakup, and being partially abandoned by my jet-setting parents. I was shook.Thank goodness the economy is starting to reopen, but because so many hotels have closed permanently, there are three people for every hospitality job available, and I don't have enough seniority to even warrant an interview. So when I heard of an opening at a historic hotel in Midtown that's allegedly haunted, I showed up in person to beg for the job. I naively told the eccentric owner I'd do anything... and that's how I wound up being an Elevator Girl.What's an Elevator Girl? Stay tuned, friends, for the story. There are ghosts, an unsolved murder, and some of the most oddball guests imaginable. Oh, and the mind-bending secret I stumbled upon in the basement. In between I spend a LOT of time riding up and down, wondering where my life went wrong and how I can get off this ride._________________This ELEVATOR GIRL, Part 1 novella is a month's worth of daily segments: JULYThe Part 1 novella is JULY, Part 2 is AUGUST, Part 3 is SEPTEMBER, Part 4 is OCTOBER, Part 5 is NOVEMBER, part 6 is DECEMBER.(In total there are 6 parts to ELEVATOR GIRL.)Don't miss out on this charming, funny story--download a sample now and see for yourself!

    The following book description contains spoilers for the first book.After confessing to the police that she witnessed a murder, college student Courtney Hartford has relocated to what she hopes is a safe place. Hanging over her head is her commitment to testify against Dylan, the gang member she witnessed killing a man, as well as Baldy, a gang member who tried to kill her to keep her from testifying.In addition, her budding relationship with Tyler, who was beaten because of her, has been interrupted. Missing him, but worried about putting him in danger, she wars with herself over whether to convince him to move to where she is now living, or to stay far, far away as his parents advise him.Will Courtney be able to move past the fear she's been living with, or will the gang members track her down and silence her for good?Retribution does not contain any profanity or sexual content.

    A long-awaited vacation in Grand Cayman ends too soon for Rutledge and Detective Beth Watkins when Beth learns that someone has killed her houseguest, Elaine Ogilvy. They return quickly to Key West and, from the moment of their arrival, events suggest they might be in danger as well. A photographer who prefers ad agency and magazine jobs, Alex has no training in police work. Still, he often gets drawn into Florida Keys investigations. Monroe County Sheriff, Fred Chicken Neck Liska, has Alex’s back (usually), and The Aristocrats—off-kilter private eyes Dubbie Tanner and Wiley Fecko—provide off-the-books surveillance, background checks and info gathering. Everyone knows that success is not guaranteed. The victim’s father, Parke Ogilvy, whom Watkins knew long ago, comes to the island and offers the names of the ex-lovers of his daughter, one of whom could be in the Florida Keys. DNA crime evidence, a second murder, threats against friends and, for Alex, a solid link to events in the past boost the peril. Even with law enforcement at full force, Rutledge senses that only his actions will lead to a crime solution.

    Her daughter has vanished without a trace and nobody is telling her what happened. Evie's gone. That's all. Gone. What does Daria have left to live for?A mother and daughter reunitedMargie can't believe it. Bridie is hurt. Bridie needs her. They manage to escape the smoke, the noise and the confusion. They are together, that's all that matters. Everything will be better in the morning, Margie tells Bridie. And it will.The bonds that never breakWill Daria ever be able to put the pieces of her tattered life back together after the loss of her daughter? Is it possible that things aren't quite as they seem? Can the unimaginable turn out to be the truth?

    Don’t miss this special edition of the first five books in the Butler Ranch Series, now at an exceptional price! Brodie Can fulfilling a promise bring love into Brodie Butler’s life again? Struggling with a tragedy in his family, winery manager, Brodie Butler, needs to put his grief on hold to carry out the promise of delivering the tragic news of his brother’s death and a special box to the enigmatic Peyton Wolf. But instead of closing a chapter in his late brother’s life, Brodie opens a new one in his own after he meets a woman he could envision himself being with forever. Torn between familial loyalty and his desire for Peyton, Brodie’s guilty conscience threatens to destroy any chance he may have with her. Will they find a future together when Peyton’s heart belonged to a hero Brodie could never measure up to? Maddox The Hatfields and McCoys have nothing on the Butler and Avila families. The feud between them had been going on for years when Maddox Butler came to the rescue and saved the Avila’s Los Caballeros winery from certain ruin. Now it’s Maddox and his brothers that are threatening the winery’s future—at least that what Alex’s family believes. Neither the feud, nor the fence between the vineyards has ever been enough to keep the two determined young lovers apart. Will their love heal the wounds of the past to reunite the families a second time? Or will it drive the wedge deeper and make them choose family over love? Naughton He’s a loner by choice. She’s a winemaker in a man’s world. Harboring a secret that could tear his family apart, Naughton Butler chooses to take on life alone. But when he and his brother inherit four hundred acres of prime vineyard property, it’s up to them to decide how to manage both. To do so, the brothers hire the new kick-ass, hotter-than-hell winemaker, Bradley St. John. Landing a job at the Butler Ranch is Bradley’s dream come true. But when Naughton thinks she’s nothing more than a joke, she sets out to prove that a woman is the best person for a man’s job. As she shows off her skills and talents, Naughton realizes Bradley’s more woman than he ever imagined. Mercer He promised to protect her… Not to love her. Mercer Bryant promised his deceased partner that he’d secretly protect Quinn Sullivan at any cost. As a former CIA operative, Mercer knows his way around intense and stealthy operations. Trained in combat, he can get out of any situation—and into any woman’s bed. But when he starts to feel something more for the stunning Quinn, he can’t stay away. Shipped off to boarding school at a young age, the feisty Quinn doesn’t need a man to watch over her. But when she finds herself in danger, the only place she feels safe is the arms of the irresistible and rugged Marine. Hell bent on protecting her, Mercer takes on the vengeful Russians who are responsible for his partner’s disappearance.

    From a writer who “adds new dimensions of depth and substance to the modern crime novel,” this thrilling and critically acclaimed series follows a tormented ex-cop from Philadelphia to South Florida on a quest to earn redemption for his dark past (Michael Connelly).  The Blue Edge of Midnight: After a shootout during a convenience store holdup led to the accidental death of a twelve-year-old, Max Freeman left the Philadelphia police department behind for a life in exile in the Florida Everglades. Since then, he’s lived in seclusion, haunted by guilt, with the humid night and the nocturnal predators of the swamp as his only company. But everything changes when he discovers a young girl’s body floating in the muddy waters and becomes the prime suspect for her murder. To prove his innocence, Freeman must find the real killer—and confront his own tortured soul—before it’s too late.  A Visible Darkness: When five elderly women are murdered in Fort Lauderdale, Max Freeman is determined to get to the bottom of it. His friend, lawyer Billy Manchester, believes the crimes are tied to a conspiracy to collect on the women’s life insurance policies. But when Freeman uncovers a shocking betrayal, he soon realizes the gruesome plot reaches further than anyone thought possible. Now, it’s a race against the clock to hunt down the psychopath behind the murders—before the killer sets his sights on Freeman himself.  Shadow Men: In the 1920s, three of Mark Mayes’s ancestors left to help build the first road through the Everglades, backbreaking labor from which they never returned. Now, decades later, Mayes has discovered letters that point to murder as the cause of their disappearance, and he hires Max Freeman to investigate. But as Freeman follows the trail of evidence, he incurs the wrath of the corporation that built the road—and realizes the case may not be as cold as everyone assumed.

    You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.