Crime Puzzles

She was a professional beauty, with a face and body that every woman envied and every man desired. Then an anonymous madman destroyed that beauty, and private investigator Paul Murdock was hired to find out why.

I’m Honorio, a noble cat. No brag, just fact. On vacation in a mysterious part of France with pink swamps, wild and free white horses and a wandering ghostly salt-marsh woman. My eccentric “owner,” her two devoted friends, and I, are eye-witnesses to a sudden and shocking murder! Was it murder? It was there in the room of this terribly tragic-looking, twisted, creepy mask that some archaeologists unearthed and maybe should not have. The detective in me that I was . . . that I am . . .moves into action. I detect a number of quirky people who are suspicious, if not downright fishy—...

Salem Wiley is a genius cryptanalyst. She’s also a loner who prefers a safe and familiar path. Until her mother disappears in the wake of a brutal murder, leaving behind a cryptic warning of threats to come. Forced out of her safe zone, Salem embarks with her best friend, Bel, on a dangerous quest that reaches back centuries into America’s hidden history.

(This book was previously published with the subtitle 'The Strange Case of the Exploding Dolly-trolley') When tragedy comes to Daisy's doorstep, it's way too close for comfort. Those responsible have to be brought to justice... and quickly, before they strike again. It’s been two weeks since Daisy brought Finn’s aristocratic world crashing down, and village life reverted to as normal as it ever gets where she is concerned. But then one morning it all changes, in a very disturbing way. To begin with, Daisy believes someone from her past is to blame. Before she retired, she had a job very...

Gus’s wakes up to discover that he’s been kidnapped by a Mexican mobster. He’s not the only one who has been kidnapped, however. Apparently, someone’s pinched the crime lord’s kid and the head thug of the gang wants Gus to find the missing kid before the crime lord finds out about it. By kid, it turns out that they meant young goat. If the goat doesn’t turn up in time then the ire of the crime lord will surely fall on one of them. Gus needs to figure out which suspect is the correct one. Luckily, Gus has Father Xavier around to help him sort out this tricky situation. Can Gus ...

[This revised edition addresses feedback from readers!] Can a young widow clear her name and save her hometown's livelihood when its beloved wine festival turns deadly? When the annual Winter Wine Festival in charming small-town Los Robles comes to a shocking halt with the discovery of a dead body, amateur sleuth Avery Parker finds herself thrust into a twisted murder mystery. Having recently returned to run her family’s vineyard after her husband’s untimely death, Avery must navigate complex small-town social politics and quirky characters to uncover clues, clear her own name, and ...

An unputdownable whodunit mystery by LJ Bourne. A small town is shaken by the sudden death of the local butcher who fell to his death during a hike. While it may seem like an accident, the victim's mother believes it to be murder. Committed by a member of the Army. US Military Special Investigator Mark Novak is charged with solving the case. That task would be much easier if Mark still trusted his detective instincts and intuition. And working alongside an old flame, Mark soon finds himself faced with more questions than answers. Does Mark still have it in him to solve this case? Or will ...

Ariion Sanders, a disabled teenage girl, is inspired by a homeless man she meets in a New York City jail. The man, Cameron Littleheart St. Lawrence, has been arrested for bank robbery, but without convincing evidence, the judge is forced to release him. The bumbling bank robbers have their loot stolen from them and they think Cameron took it. After they kidnap Cameron, Ariion hatches a plan for his rescue, however, her scheme goes awry, and she finds herself in deep trouble.

With a secret code in a silk scarf and her dog Max, Pennie Pleat endeavors to find a murderer and a thief. Seamstress Pennie Pleat stumbles upon a mystery when she becomes enamored with strange stitches in an antique silk scarf belonging to Millicent "Milly" Fairfax. The mystery deepens when Pennie finds Milly dead in her home. The scarf’s cryptic code, stitched in dots and dashes, hints at a decades-old art theft and a suspicious death from Milly’s past. With her loyal dog, Max, by her side, Pennie follows a tangled thread of clues through the world of Milly’s former acquaintances: ...

For DCI Eleanor Blackwell, history is a map to the truth. But when a renowned archaeologist is found dead in the bleak winter Fens, the clues left on his body—a single pressed poppy and a line of haunting war poetry—point to a history that kills. The ritualistic signature is an echo of a past case, pulling Blackwell and her team into the orbit of a shadowy cabal of academic purists. This secret society, hidden within the nation's most elite institutions, believes some historical narratives are worth killing for, and they see themselves as the guardians of the past. From ancient burial ...

When her daughter’s life is at stake, there’s no one quite like our R.E.D. heroine! Following an unexpected lead Celia may have been sold by traffickers to someone in Africa three years ago, Daisy, Aidan and Sarah head for Uganda. They’ve only been in the country a few minutes when a mysterious dying man thrusts a note into Daisy’s hand. As he gasps his last breath, he begs her not to involve the police. Now there isn’t just one, but two mysteries to be solved. The extra mystery deepens as three different people confess to a murder that took place many years ago. But there’s a ...

The Saffron Queen A thrilling cozy culinary mystery packed with adventure, secrets, and a dash of danger. When spice emporium owner Amara Varela inherits a mysterious journal from her late mentor, Eloise, she never expects it to hold the key to one of the rarest treasures in the world—a lost strain of saffron, hidden for centuries. But when ruthless smugglers and a power-hungry syndicate come searching for the truth, Amara is thrust into a deadly international race that could cost her everything. With her enigmatic uncle Reza, quick-witted best friend Dylan, and an unpredictable ally in ...

بعد نهاية لغز "عصابة التزييف" مضى أسبوعٌ كامل بدون أن يتصل المفتش بالأصدقاء الخمسة..كان مشغولًا، وقضى المغامرون وقتهم يناقشون لغز عصابة التزييف والفهود السبعة فقد كان اللغزان يربطهما شيءٌ واحد هو استطاعة زعيم العصابة الهرب في المرتين...

A seamstress, a dog, and a reenactment gone wrong. In the charming town of Serenity Springs, the annual Civil War reenactment takes a deadly turn when Major Everett Calhoun is mysteriously shot and killed. Pennie, a talented costume designer, and her dog Max, find themselves unexpectedly entangled in the investigation. Pennie discovers that uncovering a small town’s past that has been hidden for generations under an artful lie, takes cunning, a dog, and perseverance. To find the killer, Pennie dives into the town’s tangled history, unearthing hidden documents that challenge the accepted...

The Golden Age of Detection has enjoyed a great resurgence of interest in recent years, with publishers mining back catalogues to bring the best of yesteryear to very receptive new audiences. What is it about a literary movement that took off in the 1920s that still appeals to book lovers in the 2020s? In this authoritative new study, John Curran reveals that it is the ludic qualities of classic crime fiction that continue to intrigue.

An elite university. An abduction. An FBI investigation. In the not-so-distant future of 2033, a gripping medical mystery unfolds in the heart of Silicon Valley. Dr. Frida Ending, a young medical insurance agent, is forcibly abducted and disappears without a trace. FBI special agent Angus Weber and CIA operative Dr. Annya Segond launch an investigation that leads them to the hospital of Silicon Valley University of Evolutionary Computation (SUEC), where every pending insurance claim for children with cancer has been suddenly approved. Who is behind this? Is Frida a victim or a villain? The ...

“A Taste for Deceit”: "Local historian found dead at bustling restaurant anniversary!" That will be the headline in the sleepy town of Bluewater Creek, as it's thrust into a whirlwind of mystery and danger. Chef Russell, with a knack for solving puzzles, must navigate a web of secrets, stolen manuscripts, and deadly threats. If you have “A Taste for Deceit”, this culinary caper will leave you hungry for more!

Ten suspects. Ten heists. A mystery only Ernest Cunningham can solve. I've spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I've never been a hostage before. The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, hostages become suspects.

In a small-town bakery, where secrets are as rich as the chocolate chips, the only thing sweeter than the cookies is the revenge. When Layla Cole returns to her hometown of Grand Cavern to save her late aunt Margie’s beloved bakery, she expects to find recipes—not revelations. But buried beneath the scent of warm cookies and the clatter of mixing bowls lies a trail of deception, betrayal, and a secret “peace recipe” that some would kill to keep hidden. Margie wasn’t just a baker; she was the leader of a quiet rebellion against the Mathis family, a powerful dynasty that built their...

In the quaint village of Bearstone, Leonor, a former mercenary with a bounty on her head, is hiding under the guise of an innkeeper. She leads a life as unassuming as her inn, until a winter storm brings an unexpected influx of travelers and with them, a dark secret. When a snobbish mage is found murdered in her best room, Leonor's past skills are unwittingly summoned back to life. With the road to the city snowed and help days away, she must navigate through a web of village gossip, ancient secrets, and unexpected alliances. As she delves deeper, she discovers that the key to solving the ...