Inspector Proby's Christmas


John Gano - 1994
     Then another young woman is murdered…and another… Inspector Proby is assigned to the case. As a seasoned detective, it’s not difficult for him to figure out who did it, but proving it is another matter altogether. It will take all of his wit and courage to catch this killer before he strikes again. But his quest takes a dramatic turn when he finds out his own wife is sleeping with the killer. Was she involved with the slaughter? The chilling killer watches Proby…taunts him…thinking he’s got away with his crimes… With the superintendent away on holiday, and the Chief Constable threatening suspension, Proby is not sure he can rely on his own police department. Everyone doubts Proby’s ability to solve this case, but his instincts point him in the direction of one vital clue… The inspector must use the only person he can rely on as bait but is Proby willing to pay the ultimate price?

Her Broken Trust (Rosemary Run #7)


Kelly Utt - 2021
    But behind closed doors, she's suffering.She has a life many women would kill for, complete with two healthy young children and a doting husband who puts her every want and need above his own. Her happy family is the envy of friends and neighbors alike.Looks can be quite deceiving. Layla's husband is in big, life-altering trouble and will soon be headed to federal prison. No one knows. Layla is desperate to keep it that way.Can she withstand the pressure? Will her marriage survive? And how will she hold true to her own sense of right and wrong? Her Broken Trust is the eighth book in the Rosemary Run Series featuring the women of a California town who face the darkness hiding beneath their community’s picturesque facade.

Killing Rebecca


K.J. North - 2022
    Her heart is filled with love for them. It’s a life that excites her every morning when she gets out of bed. She is lucky to be living in a beautiful home overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and she loves her career as a crime fiction novelist.Until Her Life is Shattered…A late-night knock at the door destroys her world when news of her family’s fate is too devastating to bear. Her life turns into one of the stories she only writes about.When She Finds Out Who is to Blame…Marni must act on the shocking truth. Like in her books, the perpetrator needs to be caught and held prisoner until she decides their fate. Nothing too quick—they need to suffer slowly before they’re sentenced to death.

Joey Mancuso Mysteries: Volumes 4 - 6


Owen Parr - 2020
    Layer upon layer, twist upon twist, secret upon secret, this is a case tailor-made for a Sherlock Holmes devotee like private investigator Joey Mancuso. From the beginning, there’s just something funny about parents who didn’t report a missing student right away, and days later still want no police.Hold it here! This is their beloved daughter, last seen leaving for a date. Why wouldn’t they want as much firepower as they can get? Because they know too much, that’s why—and Owen Parr’s clever detective senses that. Joey’s first job’s to save the girl, but no way he’s going to stop there. The scrappy PI and ex-cop’s going to get answers if it kills him.A lot of the fun is in the clever Russian doll structure of a puzzle wrapped in a mystery, each discovery leading to a bigger and more surprising twist, but it wouldn't be half as delightful without the loveable series ensemble author Parr has assembled. The usual suspects are here—Marcy, Joey’s new wife and favorite FBI agent; researcher Agnes, who goes to Father Dom’s Mass every morning, presumably to repent for her shameless hacking; and Mr. Pat, gentle giant bartender-turned-detective. There’s also a welcome new addition—a professor who’s as close as you’re ever going to get to Indiana Jones.BOOK 5 -AT 16, HE SAW HIS DAD GUNNED DOWN. NOW HE HAS A CHANCE TO FIND THE KILLER,,,PI Joey Mancuso was just a kid when he watched a stranger walk into a Little Italy bar, shoot his mobster dad in the chest, and calmly walk back out, disappearing into the Manhattan din. The murder was never solved. And the old mob adage “an eye for an eye” went unfulfilled.But now, at death’s door, infamous mobster Tony the Hammer summons Joey and utters three mysterious words: “Wetherly Stevens, Barcelona.” Joey has no doubt he’s just been told how to find his father’s killer. From tantalizing tapas near La Sagrada Familia to bourbon-soaked pulled pork sandwiches at a South Carolina B&B, murder couldn’t get any more flavorful—or more personal.Perhaps retired partner Alexander Wetherly has answers. Next stop: Hilton Head, where Wetherly is happily ensconced with a houseful of help serving up bottomless Arnold Palmers. But a peaceful Q&A on quaint Daufuskie Island turns murderous when the elderly gentleman who runs Joey’s B&B winds up stabbed to death. And this isn’t the first murder of its kind—it seems Daufuskie Island has a grisly and deeply-seated cold case all its own. With the help of his cohorts—including Father Dom and a talented hacker (their researcher, Agnes)-- Joey meticulously puts together the pieces of two puzzles at once—and scrutinizes the connections between them—hoping to solve his father’s murder while preventing another from haunting the Carolina shores. BOOK 6 -THE WOMAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. As the men around her are dropping like fliesIn his sixth labyrinthine hard-boiled puzzler, NYC private eye Joey Mancuso finds himself neck-deep in a maze of a murder mystery—the kind that weaves through military secrets and international espionage—at the center of which is the woman he loves. The vic, Oscar Stanton (name etched into his designer trousers), was gunned down in Washington Square Park in broad daylight, just after a lunchtime rendezvous with a business associate. A quick and dirty ID reveals the real Oscar Stanton was working in cybersecurities for the DOD—and, perhaps unsurprisingly, was KIA in Afghanistan. And since Mancuso’s antics tend to weave a winding yarn as intricately-connected as a satisfying Sherlock Holmes.

Unexpected (Bittersweet Book 2)


Karen Lenfestey - 2017
    Sure, she loves fostering shelter dogs, but she never imagined herself as a mother. Anxious to be an aunt, her sister starts pressuring her to be someone she’s not. Her new friend wants her to stay fun and unencumbered. When Hope’s ex says he wants back in her life, she feels like it might be what’s best for her baby. Pulling away from her sister, Hope spends more time with her new friend and risks letting her ex break her heart all over again.

Stray Cat Blues: A Mystery Crime Thriller (Max Plank Mystery Series Book 1)


Robert Bucchianeri - 2017
    He’s looking forward to a well-deserved vacation. His plan includes nothing more than a little fishing, a bit of fooling around, and a whole lot of hammock time. Little does he know that this small, cute, skateboarding time bomb will lead him into a mystery with a tangled web of secrets and lies involving small-time hoods, powerful gangsters, corrupt politicians, paranoid hippies, and most dangerously, his long-time nemesis, a twisted casino operator at the heart of the city’s criminal trade. As Max races to untangle the convoluted case and find the little girl’s sister, the mayhem and dead bodies pile up. Finally, he realizes that the only way to get the whole truth involves risking his own life. But for Max Plank, this is just the price of admission to the game he’s decided to play. Stray Cat Blues is the first Max Plank mystery. Coming soon the next two adventures: The Ties That Bind and Devil’s Arcade.

Next to Disappear


Malcolm Richards - 2015
    Until disgraced ex-teacher Emily Swanson moves into the couple’s former home.Emily’s life is in ruins and she’s meant to be making a fresh start. But when she learns about the missing nurse, she sees a chance for redemption. Because finding Alina could help right the wrongs of Emily’s past. It could even mark the start of a new career in private investigation.But what Emily doesn’t know is that Alina had a horrifying secret. One about the care foundation where she worked. And the closer Emily gets to uncovering the truth, the closer she gets to terrible danger.Inspired by a shocking true crime, Next To Disappear introduces a thrilling, twist-filled series and a refreshingly different take on the private investigator genre.Revised edition: Previously published as Lost Lives.

First Time Killer


Alan Orloff - 2012
    Not even murder.During his twenty-six-year career, D.C. radio talk show host Rick Jennings steered clear of outrageous radio. Wasn’t his thing. So when WTLK execs tap him for the Afternoon Circus to land a lucrative satellite deal, Rick struggles to maintain his standards—and his dignity. A chilling call (“I’m a long-time listener, first time KILLER.”) leads to the discovery of an intern’s arm in a trashcan. Rick spars with the “First Time” killer over the airwaves. The police are stymied. Ratings skyrocket. And First Time continues to knock off members of the Circus, phoning in to gloat afterward. In a world of psychics and poseurs, crazy deejays and crazier callers, it’s up to Rick to bring First Time down before more people perish.****************************************************If you toss the movies Network, Play Misty for Me, and Talk Radio into a blender and add a liberal serving of Howard Stern, you’ll get the flavor of FIRST TIME KILLER (a full length suspense/thriller – 86K words, the equivalent of approximately 350 printed pages).

The Defendants Box Set: Thaddeus Murfee / The Defendants / Beyond a Reasonable Death


John Ellsworth - 2014
    But Thaddeus Murfee just graduated from law school and has $200 left from his student loan. He is so broke he has to borrow his roommate's suit for his first job interview. While he is so desperate to earn rent and food money, he fails to nail down exactly what it is he'll be doing.They tell him a U.S. Attorney is selling government secrets...But is he, really?Thaddeus Murfee likes his new boss, the U.S. Attorney. Good things happen and gifts flow his way. What's not to like? The government lawyer even has a daughter he wants Thaddeus to meet. Were the people who hired him just totally wrong about the guy selling government secrets? What proof do they actually have of this serious accusation? Meet the foreign agents who will pay top dollar for U.S. war plans... The Defendants Thaddeus is just a little bit older and has hung out his shingle. He's a solo lawyer learning how to pattycake, when a new case walks in the door. While Ermeline was passed out, someone carved her date's name in her chest. Then the date is murdered. Ermeline is charged with First Degree murder and comes to Thaddeus. Can the young lawyer figure out what to say and do in court before a full-fledged jury trial? Will he have what it takes to do a bang-up job for his client? And what about the government lawyers who have set him up to fail? And what about the mob hitman headed his way? Thaddeus has his hands full and, to top it all off, he's found a girlfriend.Beyond a Reasonable Death This legal thriller is the story of the same young lawyer in a small town who has now crossed the mob. They send a hit man after him. Trying to break free, he sues them and a courtroom drama ensues. Very quickly he learns you don’t sue the mob and go back to normal living. He is pursued relentlessly and runs west to the mountains of Arizona, where he seeks refuge with a Navajo shepherd. He sets up his office in a cabin while he pursues his case against the godfather. The shepherd has many lessons for Thaddeus Murfee—lessons about surviving when all odds are against you. Together they face the first mob soldier sent after Thaddeus. Plus…the old shepherd has a granddaughter who attends medical school. Katy teaches him to fly-fish, and romance blossoms. Then, he is pursued again and must abandon her in this powerful crime fiction. Set in Chicago, Mexico, and Arizona, Thaddeus is hunted. He must battle wealthy lawyers who seek to protect the mobsters. Thaddeus takes his case to trial with astounding results.

Heat To Obsession


Nolon King - 2020
    

The Calla Lily Mysteries


Anna Celeste Burke - 2020
    

Dog Groomer Mysteries: Books 1-5


Chelsea Thomas - 2021
    But far from enjoying the beautiful SoCal sunshine — hanging with her pups and eating good food — Amy pokes her nose where it is most definitely not wanted.Into a murder investigation.It’s not long before Amy gets targeted as a major suspect. But Amy and her grumpy Granny are smart and determined to solve the mystery. They won’t rest until the killer is behind bars, and they won’t stop no matter how dangerous their lives become.(That’s really, really dangerous.)Dog Groomer Mysteries, Books 1-5A New Leash on LifeRuff and TumbleTo Fetch a KillerTail of Two KillersHowl to Get Away With Murderand Big Apple Pie - A Bonus Crossover Story

Partisan


Christopher Nicole - 2001
    The staff at the British Embassy make hasty plans to leave the country, but one of the military attachés, Captain Tony Davis, is separated from his comrades. Together with a motley crew of refugees, Davis escapes into the mountains of the west and begins a breathtaking series of adventures as he encounters the remnants of the Serbian army, the dreaded Ustase terrorists and, eventually, the Partisans, led by Josip Broz, alias Tito.He rapidly becomes a legend, both for his fighting ability and his capacity for survival, but his personal life is bedevilled by the rivalry between two women: earthy Croat Elena and the delicate French journalist Sandrine.Partisan is an exciting tale of adventure and romance, set against the backdrop of the Second World War.

Casino Witch Mysteries 1 & 2 (Casino Witch Mysteries Boxset)


Nikki Haverstock - 2019
     Of Murders and Mages: Casino Witch Mysteries 1 Three ways that Ella's life is totally messed up: 1. Her new coworker is as cranky as he is attractive 2. A mischievous cat has decided she needs a familiar 3. She just found out she's a witch who can read the emotional hologram of a magical death (and isn't that a mouthful) And oh yeah, there's five dead bodies, and no one knows how they are connected. Now she’s drawn into a madcap investigation at the casino where she's managed to snag a job. She must navigate learning her new mage abilities, a topless burlesque show, a jealous girlfriend, gamblers of all varieties, and magical chocolate cake, all while not setting herself or others on fire before the murderer makes her the next victim. Which Mage Moved the Cheese? Casino Witch Mysteries 2 Ella's Super Awesome Guide to Paranormal Cheese: 1. You eat it, but there are weird side effects. 2. The ingredients can be really gross. 3. You don't use it to squash people. When the ex-president of the Paranormal Cheese Council is found dead under the world's largest wedge of cheese, Ella is on the case! Unable to admit who she really is, she goes undercover. But can she, her klutzy sidekick, and the world's most arrogant familiar escape the Booby-Trapped Queso of Doom, or stop eating the magically addictive beer-cheese fondue without giving things away to the anonymous villain?

In the Midst of Shadows


Nicola Italia - 2021
    Costing a penny, readers purchased the stories and entered the fantastic world of superhuman men and damsels in distress.The stories have been popular for over fifty years and Lavinia Howard is a young woman who dreams of being such a writer. Having recently lost her father, she turns to a family friend who puts her in touch with Jasper Courtenay, owner of Courtenay Publishing.Writing under the pen name G. R. Howard, Lavinia creates a character who becomes a huge success as her penny dreadful stories are the most popular ever printed. Her character is brash and obnoxious and has no respect for authority as he solves London murders and the working classes adore him!But strange things begin to happen as the stories Lavinia writes start to come true. Two very similar deaths mirror those she writes about, and Detective Chief Inspector Harrison Bryce is assigned to investigate. Inspector Bryce soon discovers that Lavinia has become so popular that she has also made enemies along with her legion of fans.He realizes that everyone surrounding Lavinia has a motive to have committed the crimes. He must work fast to determine who wants to harm her as he suspects Lavinia may be the next target on the killer’s list.