Out of Options


Dianne Ascroft - 2019
     A dry district, a shocking secret, a missing person. When Lois Stone’s friend, Beth Darrow, arranges to meet her to reveal an astonishing discovery, Lois’s curiosity is piqued. Then Beth doesn’t keep their lunch date and Lois becomes worried. What has happened to her friend? Middle-aged widow Lois is settling into life on her own in her neighbourhood and in the library where she works, and she is just about coping with her fear of strangers after her husband was mugged and died in the park at the end of their street. But her quiet existence is rocked when her friend and fellow local historical society researcher, Beth, arranges to meet her to reveal an exciting and shocking discovery she has made about the history of prohibition in West Toronto Junction, the last dry area in Toronto, and then goes missing before she can share her secret with Lois. There isn’t any proof that Beth is missing so the police won’t actively search for her. Only Lois and Beth’s niece Amy are convinced that Beth’s disappearance is very out of character, and they are worried about her. Where has Beth gone? Is she in danger? And, if she is, who might want to harm her and why? Lois knows she must find the answers to these questions fast if she wants to help and protect her friend. And so begins a weekend of skulking in the park, apple and cinnamon pancakes, familiar faces staring out of old newspapers, calico cats, shadows on the windowpane, and more than one person who might want Beth to disappear from the quiet, leafy streets of the historic and staunchly dry West Toronto Junction neighbourhood. A tale for fans of Cindy Bell, Leighann Dobbs, Dianne Harman and Kathi Daley.

Saints & Sinners Ball (Harper & Hattie Magical Mystery Book 1)


Stacy M. Jones - 2019
    When Hattie hosts the Saints & Sinners Ball & someone kills the lead prosecutor in her yard, her niece Harper has no choice but to help find the killer.At 40, this wasn't the do-over in life Harper expected. Now Hattie is insisting Harper learn the Ryan family magic. Psychic powers at forty? Harper isn't so sure. But Harper has a murder to solve and her aunt's reputation to protect. The Ryan women are the only two standing in the killer's way.With help from their sinfully attractive new neighbor, Harper & Hattie must decide who is friend or foe if they have any hope of unraveling the mystery. Uncovering secrets and scandal at every turn, the two unlikely sleuths must unmask a killer before the next body drops.If you like charming characters, an entertaining blend of cozy mystery and paranormal women's fiction, and a hint of romance, you'll love Saints & Sinners Ball. Read Book #1 in the Harper & Hattie Magical Mystery series as a standalone or part of the series.

The Children in the Lake: A Story You Will Never Forget


Mark Edward Hall - 2019
    Nearly a century later there are those who still report seeing the children swimming beneath the surface like elusive dolphins. After losing her husband in a violent car crash, Rachel King and her two young sons venture to Arrowhead Lake to heal. When Rachel discovers that Great Woods Timber is planning to clear-cut this beautiful wilderness she enlists the help of Lilly Bowman and her mysterious father, chief and shaman of the Wabanaki nation. But dark events have been set in motion and Arrowhead Lake is under siege by a sinister force of mercenaries. When Chief Neptune vanishes, Rachel and Lilly call on Seth Ferguson, the local deputy sheriff for help. Together they discover an astonishing truth; a shadowy cabal that will stop at nothing to obtain the secret of Arrowhead Lake, a secret that if unearthed could have far-reaching consequences. When one of Rachel’s sons vanishes in the Lake, she and Lilly embark on a harrowing journey to find him. What they discover is a mind boggling truth that will change their lives forever. *

The Witch who Couldn't Spell


Katie Penryn - 2016
    Despite her reading disability, she's qualified as a lawyer in London and raised her two brothers on her own. But she doesn't have the skills to hunt down a murderer.True Mpenzi's a white witch, so she could use magic, and she does have her mother's Book of Spells, but she's hit a stumbling block. Try as she may, Mpenzi cannot decipher the grimoire's medieval script. She needs help desperately if she's to save her mother from a life in prison.Will the High Council of the Guild of White Witches listen to her plea and allow her an assistant in time to free her mother? An assistant with supernatural powers of their own?If you love stories about witches, magic, and talking cats and dogs, all spiced up with a dollop of danger, you’ll love following along with Mpenzi and Felix, her shape-shifting sidekick, as they fight the good fight against evil in the small French seaside town of Beaucoup-sur-Mer.

The Vampire Knitting Club


Nancy Warren - 2018
    With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do. Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on? When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?

Ghost Detective


Scott William Carter - 2013
    Nobody leaves ... Award-winning author Scott William Carter returns with his tenth novel, a spellbinding tale of a man who bridges both sides of the great divide.After narrowly surviving a near-fatal shooting, Portland detective Myron Vale wakes with a bullet still lodged in his brain, a headache to end all headaches, and a terrible side effect that radically transforms his world for the worse: He sees ghosts. Lots of them.By some estimates, a hundred billion people have lived and died before anyone alive today was even born. For Myron, they're all still here. That's not even his biggest problem. No matter how hard he tries, he can't tell the living from the dead.Despite this, Myron manages to piece together something of a life as a private investigator specializing in helping people on both sides of the great divide--until a stunning blonde beauty walks into his office needing help finding her husband. Myron wants no part of the case until he sees the man's picture ... and instantly his carefully reconstructed life begins to unravel.

Spine


Steven Jenkins - 2015
    A creak, almost too light to be heard…was it the shifting of an old house, or footsteps down the hallway? Breathe softly, and strain to hear through the silence. That breeze against your neck might be a draught, or an open window. Slip into the pages of SPINE and you’ll be persuaded to leave the lights on and door firmly bolted. From Steven Jenkins, bestselling author of FOURTEEN DAYS and BURN THE DEAD, this horror collection of eight stories go beyond the realm of terror to an entirely different kind of creepiness. Beneath innocent appearances lurk twisted minds and scary monsters, from soft scratches behind the wall, to the paranoia of walking through a crowd and knowing that every single eye is locked on you. In this world, voices lure lost souls to the cliff’s edge and illicit drugs offer glimpses of things few should see. Scientists tamper with the afterlife, and the strange happenings at a nursing home are not what they first seem. So don’t let that groan from the closet fool you. The monster is hiding right where you least expect it. “If you love scary campfire stories of ghosts, demonology, and all things that go bump in the night, then you’ll love this horror collection by author Steven Jenkins.” COLIN DAVIES – Director/Producer of BAFTA winning BBC’s The Coal-House.

Vanilla Vengeance


Molly Maple - 2021
    She was hoping for a family feel and a fresh start, not a shakedown from local law enforcement and an aunt who keeps disappearing right when danger nears.Sweetwater Falls is filled with loveable characters harboring dark secrets. Even though Charlotte is certain none of her new neighbors could possibly be the killer, she is beginning to learn that no one is above suspicion.Join Charlotte as she moves to Sweetwater Falls, only to discover that not even the sweetest of small towns are without their shadows."Vanilla Vengeance" is filled with layered clues and cozy moments, written by Molly Maple, which is a pen name for a USA Today bestselling author.

If the Curse Fits


Kennedy Layne - 2019
    Unfortunately, the consequences of being hexed by the only immortal Lich Queen has kept Lou a little too busy to find a solution to her problem.What's the hex, you ask? In Lou's tragic case, her curse gives her the foresight of murders yet to be committed. It's the ultimate race against time--can she discover the culprit prior to the actual deed or can she save the victim and catch the murderer in the act?This poor hexed witch is going to need all the help she can get. Unfortunately, her help comes in the form of a warlock who is obsessed with conspiracy theories, an overly optimistic yet naïve healer, and a rather pretentious familiar who has an obsession for proper etiquette. Come join this traveling mystery band while they try to solve another murder as they're faced with powerful druids, two odd magical hares, and a mysterious man who definitely knows more than he's willing to say.

Photo Bombed


Daria White - 2021
    She’s determined to stand on her own two feet in Edenville, Texas after her bitter divorce. When the town’s wedding of the year stars her friend as the bride, Bianca can’t wait to celebrate the nuptials. Neither she nor the guests expect a corpse! When the police suspect the bride, Bianca's determined to prove her friend’s innocence.Lamar Sims, the new police detective in Edenville, is investigating the murder case. Bianca’s “interference” is not helping, but she won't stop when her friend's freedom is on the line. He makes it clear he wants her to let the police do their job, so she has to find ways around him.No one in Edenville is safe until the killer is behind bars. Bianca won’t let Detective Sims dismiss her hunches. They may have to work together before another dead body shows up.

The Granddaughters


Margaret Belle - 2021
    

Winnetka Road (Book 1) (The Winnetka Road Trilogy)


J.S. Sheridan - 2018
    He’s handsome, rich and just made partner at his father-in-law’s white-shoe law firm. She’s beautiful, brilliant and leads the crowd in all things fashion, design and elegance. They live in a mansion on Winnetka Road with their baby girl, Simone. Their life is picture perfect. But all is not as it seems. There is something dark and unnatural beneath Paul’s smooth exterior. Cellina doesn’t notice. She’s too busy with her constant renovations of the mansion and trips to Paris, Palm Beach and Percocet. Their friends don’t notice. They’re blinded by the Farrell good looks, money and standing in society. But the baby nurse sees. And little Simone. Façades are beginning to crack at the big house on Winnetka Road. *** The Winnetka Road Trilogy is a psychological thriller with supernatural elements. This is Book 1. (Book 1 ends with a partial resolution and a cliffhanger.) 156 pages

Murder and Mint Tea


Janet Lane Walters - 2017
    The small Hudson River village where she lives in her Victorian “Painted Lady” makes her the neighborhood matriarch. Along with her Maine Coon Cat Robespierre, she guards friends and families. When amoral Rachel moves into the first floor apartment of Katherine’s house, trouble erupts. The murder weapon is one she recognizes and makes her fear for her friends and family. Finding the killer becomes her goal. Editorial Review Murder and Mint Tea is a gem in its genre, combining the voice of a classic American whodunit with that of a traditional British detective novel. Murder She Wrote meets Miss Marple in a beautifully crafted tale that makes the reader want to reach into the pages and dispense justice to the villainess themselves. ~ Writer Gail Roughton

Welcome to the Funhouse


Kelly Brocklehurst - 2021
    With twelve grisly stories of coming-of-age terror, carnival cruelty and fairground frights, this collection brings together the best and most exciting talents in the horror community. Roll up! with the following stories:"Mirrors" by Robin Grieve"Candy Apple Smiles" by Christopher Robertson"The Cyclone Sisters' Travelling Circus" by Angela Sylvaine"Anna and Abby" by L. Pine"The Prop" by Nikki R. Leigh"The Viperess of Las Cruces" by C.W. Blackwell"The Golden Tickets" by Roxie Voorhees"Dance With Us" by Kelly Brocklehurst"No Strings" by Jamie Stewart"Family Outing" by Briana Morgan"Mirrored" by Dave Musson"Smile at All the Good Times We Had" by Spencer HamiltonWith a foreword from the editors.

When the Clock Chimes Two: A Short Story


Adriana Licio - 2021
    That is, until she finds herself accused of murder.Filled with newfound confidence, Zoe is enjoying the respect she is receiving all of a sudden from the inhabitants of the beautiful coastal village of Maratea in southern Italy. But just how far will her determination to take control of her life go? When she is discovered standing over the dead body of her bullying boss, the murder weapon in her hand, it looks as though it has gone way too far.When the local carabinieri regard the case as solved, travel writer and part-time sleuth Giò Brando investigates further, disturbed by her sister Agnese’s distress at having sold Zoe the scent that apparently transformed her into a killer. But it appears all the other suspects have watertight alibis for the time of the killing.With her shrewd granny’s words “A wolf is always a wolf, a lamb is always a lamb” echoing in her mind, Giò is sure that Zoe remains the gentlest of lambs. And then a chance remark in Leo’s Bar leads her to the truth – a truly heartless plan was put into action as Maratea’s clock struck two.◆◆◆ Cosy mystery fans, synchronise your watches and grab yourself a cappuccino. It’s time to help Giò investigate murder most horrid and make sure everyone gets what they deserve ◆◆◆---"When the Clock Chimes Two" is a short story in the heart warming and compelling "An Italian Village Mystery" series. Beloved by fans of Rhys Bowen, Agatha Christie, MC Beaton. Each book can be read as a standalone or enjoyed in sequence.Book 0 (prequel) - And Then There Were BonesBook 1 - Murder on The RoadBook 2 - A Fair Time for DeathBook 3 - A Mystery Before ChristmasBook 4 - Peril at the Pellicano Hotel