Amateur Detective

What could go wrong with a classic cinema themed cruise? Especially when the guest list includes former movie stars, a well-known movie critic and semi-retired producer… "Winters will have you giggling into your book!" Unfortunately, a lot does go wrong. From minor mishaps to more serious issues, from vandalized posters to missing jewelry… Adrienne and her friends find themselves juggling one mini-crisis after the other. Just when things seem to be improving, Addi discovers the dead body of a one of the special guests, a former scream queen with a slasher-movie-worthy knife in her chest...

Moira Gallagher has been conversing with ghosts since she was five. Now as an adult, she’s finally putting that ability to good use. Moira’s ability to talk with the dead gives her detective agency, Gallagher Investigations, an edge in uncovering secrets the past has buried. With the help of her sisters, Nuala and Deirdre, she assists those unsettled spirits in finding peace by righting the wrongs done to them before they found themselves on the Other Side. The past collides with the present as these Irish sisters solve cold-case murders and mayhem through their dreams, paranormal ...

A 90’s comeback. A broken friendship. And a supernatural sleuth. When Lena Larsen agrees to host the comeback reunion of 90s pop duo Harmony & Discord at her Victorian bed and breakfast, she expects some diva behavior and maybe a few nostalgic tears. What she doesn't expect is murder. Twenty years after their spectacular fall from grace destroyed both their friendship and their careers, Melody Sinclair and Casey Hart can barely stand to be in the same room together. But someone wants them back together—and someone else wants them silenced permanently. When tragedy strikes during the ...

Marriage? It can be absolute murder. The royal wedding looms and Felicity can think of little else … until a member of her dream team is arrested for attempted murder. Doris, a long-time friend and superstar florist, stands accused of attempting to kill half a dozen brides, their bouquets poisoned with an unknown toxin. Ordered not to interfere by the hateful Chief Inspector Quinn, Felicity is determined to find the real person behind the bizarre crimes and clear her friend’s name – Doris must be innocent, right? But Felicity is not exactly known for her sleuthing skills. If anything,...

She should say no. She’s not a detective after all. But how can she? When Felicity Philips receives a panicked call from an old friend, there simply isn’t a way that she can turn him down. Edward, the jeweller to the crown, is in deep trouble and he cannot tell the police. His terrible truth must be kept secret. But what is his motivation for calling Felicity? Does he really believe she is the only one who can help? Or are his motivations more personal and dark than he is letting on? With her usual cast of supporting misfits, Felicity is going to see what she can do … … but when she...

A hidden recipe. A magical candy. A dangerous legacy. When Eliza Sweet discovers her grandmother's secret recipe for the Midnight Rose, she creates more than just a candy—she awakens an ancient magic. In the quiet town of Cedarwick, those who taste the shimmering purple sweets face unexpected challenges that lead to extraordinary fortune. But the recipe has a dark history. James Blackwood arrives, determined to seize control of the candy's power. His family has pursued the Midnight Rose for generations, believing it can be bent to their will. With her perceptive cat Sir Whiskers revealing...

Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: the Masquerade Murder Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, and brilliantly staged, but they were always fictional—until their final Christmas Masquerade, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again. Now our privileged young cast of old university friends are summoned to the depths of Scotland for a Christmas-themed masquerade party. But all are hiding something deep below the surface that could make or break their careers.

These are the first four novels featuring Charles Bentley, a retired professor of English Literature who worked at Opal College in Opalsville, Massachusetts in the upper northwestern corner of the state. Upon his retirement, Charles finds himself becoming involved in solving a number of murders that occur in his part of the world. A widower, now without a full-time job, he is also at a decision point in his life where he must deal with new romantic interests and the possibility of pursuing a career path allowing him to develop new talents. Charles rapidly finds that the remaining decades of...

A heartwarming cozy mystery series about family, friendship and a crusade for justice. 5 stars - 'Expect chilling danger, unexpected surprises, gripping thrills, romance, laughter, heart touching moments and murder. ' Recently widowed Anna Butler has finally realized her lifelong dream of opening a cafe. She may even have found love. But the local mayor is still on the warpath and won't give up her vendetta against the Butlers. Anna knows the only way to shut her up is to figure out who killed John but that's proving to be difficult. Will she ever be able to discover the truth about what ...

When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Welcome to Quillhaven, where candy carries enchantment and secrets are as sweet—and sticky—as caramel. When Sophie Vanora inherits her great-aunt’s candy shop, Sugar Spells, she’s expecting powdered sugar and peppermint bark—not magical confections and mysterious break-ins. But when her aunt’s secret recipe book of enchanted sweets vanishes, and an ominous note reading Lullaby and good night is left behind, Sophie knows this is more than petty theft. Someone is after the magic—and they don’t intend to play nice. With the help of quirky townsfolk, a pair of mischievous feline...

"Rarely have I read descriptions that have left me gasping, in both their hilarity and their painful truth. A wonderful read." ―Louise Penny recommending G.M. Malliet's novel WICKED AUTUMN Is it ever okay to take the law into your own hands? That's the question at the heart of this original short story by award-winning author G.M. Malliet. Maria Ignatius Jona writes an advice column - an "Agony Aunt" column - for the daily Santa Fe Orbital. She inherited the column ten years before from her aunt Bettina, and soon discovered she'd also inherited her aunt's intuition and knack for helping ...

How can you hold an auction when the auctioneer is dead? That’s the problem facing Jessica Braun after her scheme to clear out thrift shop inventory through a bidding war goes sideways. Before the truck is even unloaded, she and her friends discover a terrible crime. With luck working against them and no one on their side, can Jess and her crew find enough evidence to solve the murder and stop the killer before they get away? What will happen to Jess if her auction plans are killed, too?

When the body of "how-to" book writer Terry Holiday is found by Aster Paterson in her flower garden, the townspeople of Haven are shocked. But they're even more surprised when the beloved bookshop owner insists that the spirit of her late husband Peter Paterson led her to the grim discovery. Only Aster seems unsurprised—she's been baking his favorite shortbread cookies every day, hoping to lure his ghost back home . . . Even Maureen is a little skeptical—until Peter's ghost appears in the bookshop window for all to see.

Pie Contest Turns Deadly Fall is in the air and the Eastern Shore Pie Contest has come to Pelican Cove. So has a woman who became a pariah when she was banished from town forty years ago. Now she is back with a vengeance amidst loud protests. The town is split over whether a decades old edict is still valid, especially since the woman holds a lot of power as a judge of the contest. The competition heats up as local women break their backs trying out different recipes, determined to win. Then an unexpected murder shocks the town. Roped into investigating the crime, café owner and amateur ...

A few months in the life of a young London man in 1952 At school, Morris Major almost obsessively read every crime fiction novel he could get his hands on, and from about the age of twelve decided that he wanted to be a detective of some sort. However, he found later that there were considerable difficulties even to start on this career path, and by the time he left school he had reluctantly abandoned that ambition, and decided to be a barrister instead. In due course he was called to the bar, but then had to start his National Service. That duty completed, he returned to the barristers’ ...

Christmas has come to Lighthouse Cove, but business hasn’t slowed down for Shannon Hammer. She’s been contracted to renovate a local hotel owned by the Garrisons, a family that’s so devoted to the holidays they serve a seven-course dinner every night from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Last year’s festivities featured a train that transported guests around the breathtaking Cliffside property. This year, Shannon and her crew have been commissioned to build a Victorian-style carnival midway with games and prizes galore.

Mma Ramotswe reconnects with an old friend who has been having problems with her daughter. Though Precious feels compelled to lend a hand, she discovers that getting involved in family affairs is always a delicate proposition. Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni finds himself embroiled in familial drama as well, when one of his clients asks for help evicting an unwanted houseguest who turns out to be the man's own brother. Elsewhere, Charlie and Fanwell are also involved in tricky matters of the heart, as Queenie-Queenie, Charlie's girlfriend, seems to have transferred her affections to Fanwell.

Owning a bookstore in a small town is a dream...until murder makes it a nightmare. The victim, the new lighthouse owner, left behind more enemies than friends. The suspect list is endless, and I'm on it. I team up with my best friend, Sam, and my rescue dog, Sherlock Paws, to uncover the truth. Clues are popping up all over, and just when I think we're getting somewhere, another body turns up. With Sherlock Paws' sharp instincts for sniffing out hidden clues and her talent for squeezing into tight spaces, we're making headway—but the clock is ticking. Each new discovery pushes us closer ...

Texas genealogist Lucy Lancaster deals with murders in both the past and present in this captivating first mystery in the Ancestry Detective series.