An elderly woman is found poisoned in the upstairs bedroom of her home whose front door stands 52 steps above the street in an old-fashioned whodunit that blends clues, red herrings, suspects, and humor.

    It’s what sisters do.Lillian knew they’d argue like they always did. But murder?She’s shocked to find a dead neighbor in the middle of her sister’s living room. Why did the woman break in? And who killed her?It’s time for Lillian to pick up her spyglass and Saber to prowl for clues. A killer is on the loose.It will take one clever cat and one canny older woman to solve the purr-fect murder.

    But when an eerie sounding caller is identified as the bay area’s latest serial killer, it appears her life will never be same.With the killer continually calling into Scarlet’s show, while managing to stay one step ahead of the San Francisco police, Scarlet begins to fear she’s his next victim. Enlisting best friends, Niles and Tom, and their often-hilarious help, Scarlet sets out to find the elusive Serial Caller … before he finds her.Root for Scarlet during this heart-pounding and alternately humorous mystery thriller. Fall in love with unforgettable characters, recognize familiar family members and hold on tight for an adrenaline-filled ride.If you’re a Stephanie Plum fan, make room for Scarlet Oaks!This is the first book in the Scarlet Oaks Series. Start the adventure - buy Scarlet Oaks and the Serial Caller today.

    They settle in for a lot of hard work getting their bakery business ready before the annual Pumpkin Festival begins, but they are taken by surprise when they find a dead man right next door—a dead man whose face is familiar.Suddenly the sleepy little town of Clovedale Falls is the scene of a growing mystery that threatens to destroy Rita and Rhonda’s new life. And to make matters worse, because they are so new in town, who can they trust? When they meet a brave sheriff, a farmer who turns out to be a courageous friend, and a sweet elderly woman, they begin to find their footing in town and Rita and Rhonda set out to solve the murder, racing against time.The case turns darker when a second murder takes place and more unknowns are tossed into the mix. Uncertain what path to take or what to do, Rita and Rhonda have no choice but to wait until the killer comes for them, causing the twin sisters to reckon with frightening questions.

    The mansion that Ashley Wilkes, historic preservationist, is restoring, with its crescendo-thumping spectral organist, is no exception. When Ashley makes a grisly discovery, the residents of quiet, quaint Orange Street are horrified. Halloween weekend finds Ashley and Melanie dressed to kill at the Cape Fear Crime Festival's costume party where an evil trickster treats them to murder.

    Stacy's Rolex watch is missing and she begs Charlie to help locate it before her husband finds out. Things are complicated by the fact that Stacy had been seeing another man, Gary Detweiller, and he's the one she suspects of having stolen the watch. With a little detective work, Charlie and her sidekick dog, Rusty, retrieve the missing watch and all should be well. But three days later, Detweiller is murdered. All eyes turn to Stacy as the prime suspect. Once again, Stacy begs Charlie's help in proving her innocence. As she begins to ask questions, Charlie learns that Detweiller's life was not as simple as first perceived and that any number of people had grievances against him. And before she can pinpoint the killer, her own life is in danger as well. Includes new foreword from the author upon the 20th anniversary of first publication of this ongoing series' first title.

    Between the police scanners, social media, and the senior center, it's like a zombie apocalypse where they consume people's secrets instead of living flesh. But Vangie Vale wants nothing more than to stay under the radar...especially the police radar. So when her new bakery becomes linked to a murder investigation, nothing will stop the gossip mill from connecting her to the dead body. Can't have that.Forced back into the role of investigator, this newly-arrived-in-town part-time bakery owner has to become the very thing she hates--a nosy, small-town gossip--in order to clear her good name, and keep her face off the front page. But when a date-gone-wrong brings her face-to-face with the Sheriff, Vangie can't ignore the fact that one of her macarons was involved in a murder. She has to find out who-dun-it.Book One in a cozy culinary mystery series from USA Today Bestselling Author, R.L. Syme.Expected release date: July 20

    Though Mimi is hired to act as bodyguard for Lauren’s upcoming book tour, plans change when Lauren's assistant is murdered and the slaying is a replica of a scene from Lauren’s newest novel. A novel that hit bookstores the same day as the killing. Now instead of playing bodyguard, Mimi is cracking computer code, and chasing down vampires. These vampires come alive on the streets of Santa Cruz, as part of a live-role-playing game. Mimi must find the connection between the vampires and the author to track down the killer. This would be much easier if Detective Nick Christianson wanted her investigating the case.Nick, Mimi’s old college fling, is the lead homicide investigator. Though he wants her off the case, he also wants to pump her for information. Nick may have used her in the past, but this time she’ll use him to try to catch the murderer first.

    Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late.

    But there’s a problem—Quincy is now the main suspect in The Vulture’s murder. Armed with only her Zombie delivery van, good intentions, and the business card of a handsome cop named Alex, she must find the killer, save the flower shop, and keep from ending up in the next casket. If she can dodge burning bushes, the plague of a polygamist ex, and her mother's Mormon Mafia Spy Network, her life with Alex and her shop could become the perfect arrangement.

    Rarely leaving the house, she shares most of her days with her late mother's cranky cat.But soon, Jamie is forced into action by a frantic call from her Aunt Peg, whose autistic son Adam is in police custody and suspected of murdering his music teacher, a once-famous rock star named Spike.It's up to Jamie to find the real killer. The problem is, Spike seems to have had more enemies than he had friends, and Adam had confessed to the murder already. Can Jamie piece together the evidence and bring the murderer to justice before it's too late?A delightful, light mystery set in the small town of Hollywood, South Florida, Death By Didgeridoo is the first book in Barbara Venkataraman's Jamie Quinn Cozy Mysteries series.

    Unfortunately, that’s just what she’ll have to do, when a missing box of lye from her store gets linked to a recent small-town murder and everyone labels her as the prime suspect.With a wise-cracking, uppity skeleton as her sidekick, Ivy is forced to investigate the crime, all while trying to figure out who would want to implicate her in such a serious ordeal—especially considering the cops and their new necromancer-for-hire are all but certain of her guilt. Meanwhile her biggest business rival sees the open investigation as the perfect opportunity to muscle Ivy out of business, and also her super cute librarian crush may have finally noticed she's alive.Uh-oh, it looks like she may not come out of this squeaky clean, after all… But hopefully she can still come out of it alive.

    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?

    Neither do her friends at the Mount Airy Dog Park. When the apparent suicide of Lia's deadbeat boyfriend draws the attention of Detective Peter Dourson, he decides to adopt the dead man's dog to infiltrate the tight group he's certain conceals Luthor Morrissey's killer. As his investigation uncovers secrets, a grieving Lia fights her growing attraction to the laid-back detective. Meanwhile, Luthor's killer lurks, desperate to stay ahead of the investigation--no matter who has to die... If you like believable characters, a multi-layered plot, and a compelling sense of humor with your intrigue, pick up this can't-put-down whodunit for a romp through the dog park with Lia and the gang. This extended edition includes new and expanded scenes. (69,000 words)

    But when her trophy red Cadillac is found tail-fins up in a nearby lake, the police ask why a widowed piano teacher, who couldn’t possibly see beyond the hood ornament, was found strapped in the driver’s seat. Reeling from an interrogation with local homicide, Lalla is determined to extricate herself as a suspect in this strange murder case. Unfortunately, drug running pilots, a cross-dressing convict, a crazy Chihuahua, and the dead woman’s hunky nephew throw enough road blocks to keep Lalla neck deep in an investigation that links her family to a twenty-year old murder only she can solve.