Amateur Detectives Mystery

Lucy McGuffin has three problems: She's a human lie detector, a "gift" she tries hard to keep hidden. Her rescue dog Paco is a ghost-whisperer. And someone's just been found murdered in her kitchen. The murder weapon? One of Lucy's famous apple walnut cream cheese muffins. The victim? Tara Bell, the producer for a reality TV cooking competition that Lucy is determined to win. Lucy and Tara had a very public disagreement the day before the murder. When it's discovered that Lucy's cafe was about to be disqualified from the show, all fingers point to Lucy as the prime suspect.

Pelican Cove’s Favorite Resident Gunned Down! When someone close to Jenny King is found murdered on a boardwalk bench, the Magnolias are plunged into grief. Secrets from the victim's past complicate the situation. Faced with a baffling lack of suspects, Jenny has no time to mourn as she struggles to hunt for the killer. Meanwhile, Pelican Cove residents are battling a wave of mosquito infestation. Quashing the menace becomes difficult with the town ready to rebel and dwindling city funds. Muffins and Mobsters brings tragic new developments as the Magnolias must persist in the face of ...

Charlie may be a proud new grandfather, but he and Diesel still have work to do at Athena College and the small Mississippi town's public library. He's too busy to deal with true-crime writer Jack Pemberton, who wants Charlie as the subject of his latest book - and who won't take no for an answer. A more appealing proposition for Charlie is spending time helping a kind, elderly man navigate the library's genealogical database. But he's shocked when he learns that the visitor's search is focused on a member of his own family: his late aunt's husband.

For Ellery Queen, there is no puzzle that reason cannot solve. In his time, he has faced down killers, thugs, and thieves, protected only by the might of his brain - and the odd bit of timely intervention by his father, a burly New York police inspector. But when a university professor asks Queen to teach a class, the detective finds there are people whom reason cannot touch: college students. Queen's adventure on campus is only the first of this incomparable collection of short mysteries.

Oxford summer balls are one of the highlights of the calendar and tearoom sleuth Gemma Rose is looking forward to taking a break and slipping into something gorgeous for the evening. But when the night ends with a celebrity chef murdered by his own whisk, Gemma finds herself plunged into a new mystery - and the nosy Old Biddies keen to help with the investigation.

An explosion and fire at the Ashton Gunpowder Mill in Kent has killed over a hundred men. It's called an appalling tragedy - until suspicion and rumor raise the specter of murder. While visiting the Ashton family, Bess Crawford finds herself caught up in a venomous show of hostility that doesn't stop with Philip Ashton's arrest. Indeed, someone is out for blood, and the household is all but under siege.

***NOMINATED FOR AN EDGAR AWARD*** In the midst of substantial personal loss and scandal, six-foot-six Gunsten Søren Pedersen, the Detroit Tigers’ worshipped, veteran fence-swinger, walked away from his career and sport that he loved. Retiring to the tranquil solitude of Minnesota’s North Woods, disgraced, Gun left behind disappointed fans and searing press coverage. But a millionaire real estate investor is out to tear up Gun’s new turf. Loon Country Attractions, to be built on Gun’s piece of paradise, comes replete with an amusement park, convention center, and shopping super-...

In the charming coastal town of Seagrove Harbor, the annual Harvest Festival is a celebration of community, food, and friendship—until tragedy strikes. When beloved organic grocer, Maria Alvarez, collapses after sampling her famous salsa, the idyllic atmosphere shatters, leaving everyone questioning the innocence of their cherished traditions. Lila McAllister, owner of the Seagrove Bakery & Café, can't shake the feeling that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. Teaming up with Maria's niece, aspiring detective Izzy Alvarez, the duo dives into a web of secrets, jealousy, and ...

When Victor Kensington, heir to one of the wealthiest fortunes in Cedar Grove, drops dead at the glamorous Midnight Masquerade, whispers of foul play ripple through the grand estate. The Kensington family’s wealth and secrets are a dangerous combination, and everyone in attendance is a suspect. Lila Harrington, a local innkeeper and amateur sleuth, is no stranger to mystery. She can’t resist the call to uncover the truth hidden behind the family’s gilded facade. As secrets unravel and connections to a missing heirloom emerge, Lila is drawn into the glittering yet treacherous world of ...

Hannah Cameron was not well-liked, but who stabbed her in the back? To almost everyone, the answer was clear: she was killed by a burglar. This case is given to Inspector Nivens, so Mrs. Jeffries and the rest of the household must tiptoe around this case to find the real killer.

A luxurious beach resort, a missing friend, and secrets to die for. Emily Parker, meticulous bookbinder and amateur sleuth, thought a getaway to Azure Bay Resort would be the perfect escape from solving mysteries. But paradise quickly turns perilous when her best friend, investigative journalist Jenny Walsh, vanishes without a trace, leaving behind only a treasured pen near the murdered resort owner, Blake Montgomery. Accompanied by her intuitive Maine Coon, Fitzgerald, Emily teams up with Josh Reynolds, a charming local artist whose gallery hides clues as expressive as his paintings. The ...

Murder isn't a walk in the park...War widow fashionista, Ginger Gold, makes a gruesome discovery while walking her Boston terrier, Boss, through Kensington Gardens. A woman of ill-repute is dead. When Chief Inspector Basil Reed becomes a suspect, the blustery and often times pigheaded Superintendent Morris pulls him off the case. Ginger’s not about to be pushed around by the superintendent despite his warnings.

When her friends from the Tuesday Night Club visit Miss Marple's house, the conversation often turns to unsolved crimes. Trying to solve these 13 mysteries are Raymond West, a young writer; the artist Joyce Lemprière; Dr Pender, the clergyman, who claims to know the hidden side of human character; Mr Petherick, a lawyer who is only interested in the logical approach; and Sir Henry Clithering, whose experience as commissioner of Scotland Yard speaks for itself.

Bernard isn't your ordinary house cat. Former circus performer with a talent for theft, he's happily retired to a luxurious life with the wealthy Scarborough family in Los Angeles. That is, until one night when his old habits lead him into the bedroom of socialite Diedre Longhorn, just in time to find her murdered, with a mysterious golden egg-shaped artifact gone missing. When his owners Lance and Irene are implicated in both the theft of Diedre's jewelry and possibly her murder, Bernard must use his unique feline skills to uncover the truth. But he quickly discovers that Diedre's death is...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Just delightful read, funny, witty, very British with good twists. It is reminiscent of other writers in the same vein, but I couldn't put the book down. I had to read the entire series in a few days. Just fun and can't wait for the next installments!" Sylvie J. M., amazon.com A DELIGHTFUL COZY MYSTERY FULL OF QUAINT VILLAGES, QUIRKY CHARACTERS, AND MADCAP ADVENTURES BY A BESTSELLING AUTHOR. Helen Ryes and Martha Littleword, two Americans living in England, become fast friends and amateur sleuths when a murder lands them in hot water. Killers unfortunately rarely stop at ...

When world-famous, highly reclusive author J. W. Quicksilver chooses a local book club for his first public appearance, the residents of Whispering Bay have trouble containing their excitement. That is until he's found murdered. But things are not always what they seem. It turns out that the dead man wasn't J. W. Quicksilver after all, but a shifty conman who'd been running a publishing scam leaving a mile-long trail of victims. When the real J. W. Quicksilver becomes the prime suspect in the murder, he turns to Lucy for help.

A Glamorous Theater Opening Turns Deadly… Event planner Ivy Schaeffer is no stranger to lively celebrations, but when she’s hired to organize the after-show party for a local theater’s grand debut, she expects entertainment, drama, and a little backstage gossip—not murder. Tensions run high among the cast and crew, but no one is prepared when Seth Jenkins—the understudy thrust into the lead role—drops dead behind the velvet curtains. While the old detective urges Ivy to stay in the shadows, the new detective enlists her to help sniff out the truth. With sharp-witted Phyllis and ...

'Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,' declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a service!' It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later. From seven potential murderers, Miss Marple must seek out the suspect who has both motive and opportunity.

Everyone has a secret.... Only some lead to murder. Introducing Leo Stanhope: a Victorian transgender coroner's assistant who must uncover a killer without risking his own future. When the body of a young woman is wheeled into the hospital where Leo Stanhope works, his life is thrown into chaos. Maria, the woman he loves, has been murdered, and it is not long before the finger of suspicion is turned on him, threatening to expose his lifelong secret.

Adrienne is looking forward to a nice, relaxing cruise—especially when she hears that this time, the theme is beauty and pampering. Unfortunately, “beauty and pampering” means something different for the cruise passengers! When one of the passengers is killed by a lethal beauty injection, it's up to Addy and the gang to uncover the truth of whose flawless face doesn’t match the ugliness within. This time around, the investigation is aided by the Swan of the Seas’ new captain, Jonathan Ellman, who seems vaguely familiar to Adrienne and the others… Praise for A.R. Winters: "The ...