Humorous Detective

A call meant for someone else. A murder that was never supposed to be solved. Birdie Lou Baxter thought managing the local phone company in the quiet town of Haven Hills was as low-drama as life could get. But when a mysterious phone call comes through a long-dead line, Birdie answers—and overhears what sounds like a murder being planned. Days later, a body turns up. Now Birdie is pulled into a tangle of secrets, ghost lines, and forgotten vaults. The killer thinks no one heard the call—but Birdie did. And someone in her own office may be next on the line. As she uncovers decades-old ...

Thrift shop til someone drops... Taking in donations at a thrift store could only bring good fortune, right? That is, unless there’s more than secondhand treasures in those boxes… Jessica Braun’s thrift shop is thriving, her first donations are coming in to resell, and the new neighborhood watch is a success. Add a date with an unexpected gentleman, and Jess’s first summer back in Minnesota is sweet as maple syrup. But when donated collectibles are stolen, a local woman lands in deep water. The deputy is ready to let Jess help investigate when the quiet town is turned upside down ...

In a one horse open…sleighed The final pieces to the family business plan are falling into place. And Chloe’s mom has launched another hair-brained idea to open up a gnome museum back home. The feud between her mom and her loveable cocker spaniel over those quirky creatures had reached epic levels. While trying to keep the peace, Chloe was enjoying the joy of the season and looking forward to her boyfriend soon joining her to celebrate Christmas. Her match-making mother can think of no better setting to further her scheme than a romantic sleigh ride to seal the deal. But, the reindeer ...

Foxie is on a diet, and Jack has things on his mind. When Auntie Tidge takes delivery of boxes of sausages, Foxie is delighted, until Caterina Smith takes them all away. Foxie is determined that Jack must solve the case of the stolen sausages, but Jack, for once, isn't sure there even is a case. He and Foxie join Lord Red, Auntie Tidge, Sarge, Caterina Smith, Polly, and just about everyone else at the Doggeroo Dog and Sausage Day. There are sausages galore, and plenty of schemes and drooling dogs, but is there really a thief?

It’s beginning to look a lot like arson this Christmas season… The Cat Café is buzzing with excitement this holiday season as they prepare for the Holiday Fur Ball & Silent Auction. As Tinsley and her crew put the finishing touches on the treats and decorations, she can’t help but daydream about the new animal shelter she hopes to build with the money from the auction. The excitement soon fizzles, however, when a fire breaks out at the café with the fur babies inside. Thankfully, they’re rescued by firefighters and all safe and sound. But everyone at the Cat Café is shocked when ...

Mark Twain is at his irreverent best with this hilarious parody of the 19th-century mystery. The tale begins with the murder of Flint Buckner and a heinous crime against a young woman. A man with special gifts - no less a personage than Sherlock Holmes! - enters the scene to solve the mystery and avenge the lady. He matches wits with an improbable villain, Archy Stillman, while Ham Sandwich and Wells Fargo look on, and almost gets himself lynched in the process.

Thrift shop til someone drops... Jessica Braun couldn’t be more proud of her friend and neighbor Freddie’s new job with the Mistletoe County Sheriff’s Department. When the first case Freddie works on leads the teen into more trouble than she deserves, she calls Jess for help, and they discover the unthinkable—a shallow grave and a rare collectible. From whispered secrets to shadowy storerooms, Jess and her friends follow the path of a killer, straight into danger and a hoard of hidden clues. What will happen to Jess—and to Fred’s new career plans—when the two of them are ...

Jake O’Hara has a lot to celebrate. Not only will she be her mother’s maid of honor at her forthcoming wedding, but she has been offered her most lucrative ghostwriting work yet—punching up the script for the Broadway musical Suzy Q before it premieres. Unfortunately, the star of the show is Elaine Eden, the award-winning actress of stage and screen, and a Titanic tinseltown twit in Jake’s eyes. Elaine has her share of enemies in this production, including her ex-husband, a young up-and-coming actress, and the play’s author, who happens to be the producer’s boyfriend. When she ...

In Geppetto’s Daughter, family bonds are stretched, various appendages are cut off, castle walls are breached, warranties are voided, space battles occur, jokes are made about pianists and, of course, a liberal amount of alcohol is consumed throughout. All this for your reading pleasure. This novel supports Amazon’s ‘look inside’ feature so if you like witty dialogue and interesting characters coupled with an absorbing story line click on the cover image and read a bit. If you like it, buy it. If you really like it, buy three or four. Geppetto’s Daughter is the third book in the ...

When someone burns down the home of the school janitor and he dies in the blaze, everyone in Addamsville, Indiana, points a finger at Zora. Never mind that Zora has been on the straight and narrow since her father was thrown in jail. With everyone looking for evidence against her, her only choice is to uncover the identity of the real killer. There’s one big problem - Zora has no leads. No one does. Addamsville has a history of tragedy, and 30 years ago a similar string of fires left several townspeople dead. The arsonist was never caught.

Cephas Buthelezi certainly talks the talk, Precious discovers, but would he have the wherewithal to deal with her current case, a man who has been attacked by ostrich rustlers and is eager to reassess his life? Meanwhile, there are difficulties at the Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, where one of the apprentices has discovered the Lord; problems at home with the mysterious death of a hoopoe; and romantic complications when Mma Makutsi sets up a typing school for men.

The time is now. We’ve waited long enough. We’ve got to know. How did I die? I’m sharp, and I’m not just talking about my beak. In fact, you won’t find a parakeet brighter than me. But in my previous life, as a man, I was an even more brilliant. A detective, in fact. However, there’s one question that neither I nor anybody I love can seem to recall: just how did I die? To get to the bottom of it, it’s time for a little road trip to the scene of the crime. All of the Tripletts—my wife Sharon, daughter Lila, son Ethan, and I—leave Mountain Springs in the rearview mirror and ...

With her books sporting other people’s names, ghostwriter Jake O’Hara works behind the scenes. But she never expected a séance at a New York apartment to be part of her job. Jake had signed on as a ghostwriter, secretly writing for a grande dame of mystery fiction whose talent died before she did. The author’s East Side residence was impressive. But her entourage—from a Mrs. Danvers-like housekeeper to a lurking hypnotherapist—was creepy. Still, it was all in a day’s work, until a killer started going after ghostwriters, and Jake suspected she was chillingly close to the ...

Nick is settling into his role as a police constable in Aidensfield, getting to grips with rural life and his new colleagues and neighbors. But Nick soon finds himself facing a canine crisis. Farmer Lowe’s overworked sheepdog is feigning deafness. Without the dog, the cows cannot be milked, bringing his farming business to a screeching halt. Meanwhile, five sheep turn up dead, and Sidney Chapman’s dog is accused of the crime, much to his dismay. Can Nick salvage Aidensfield’s farming future, not to mention the reputations of two dogs, while juggling his other cases?

Owning two thrift shop locations doubles the secondhand fun for Jessica Braun. However, it also means double the work and, soon enough, she finds herself embroiled in double the trouble. A shocking crime strikes Pine Grove, leaving two people injured. Jessica can't shake her suspicion that another shop owner is involved. The catch? The community sees things differently, and convincing them won't be an easy task. How will she rise to this challenge, protect her town, and safeguard her business? As the situation grows more complex, Jessica must piece together the puzzle. But when the going ...

Best-selling author Jasper Fforde begins an effervescent new series. It's Easter in Reading - a bad time for eggs - and no one can remember the last sunny day. Humpty Dumpty, well-known nursery favourite, large egg, ex-convict and former millionaire philanthropist, is found shattered beneath a wall in a shabby area of town.

New year, new Finlay Donovan. She's got a list of resolutions and she's ready to bite the bullet. But first, she owes the Russian mob one last favour - tracking down a rogue hitman with her nanny Vero, before the cops do. The small complication? This killer might be cop himself. Enter distractingly hot Detective Nicholas Anthony, whose new citizens' police academy provides the perfect cover-up for Finlay to sleuth out the target - and some fresh ideas for her crime novel.

Benny Kaminsky and Thunderbolt Dobney lead a rag-tag gang of neighborhood rowdies. Their territory is the New Cut on London's South Bank - a place bristling with swindlers, bookies, pickpockets, and the occasional policeman. And their aim is to solve crimes. When counterfeit coins start showing up in their neighborhood, Thunderbolt fears his own father may be behind the crime. But his friends devise a way to trap the real culprit. Then the gang takes on the case of some stolen silver. They have just two clues - a blob of wax, and an unusually long match.

A pretty but spiteful young actress with a talent for destroying men's lives is found dead in a college room just yards from the office of the unconventional Oxford don Gervase Fen. Anyone who knew the girl would gladly have shot her, but can Fen discover who did shoot her and why?

In a sea of bachelors, Penelope's dance card is a clue to murder. Dallas 1924 In the wake of her husband's untimely demise, Penelope Van Keesler is coerced into attending a lavish ball by her meddling mother. With their family's fortune teetering on the edge of extinction, Mother is determined to secure a wealthy match for her daughter. Whether she wants it or not. Dallas high society is crawling with eligible bachelors to save a family fortune. But when Penelope's dance partner, a national hero pilot, drops dead outside of the speakeasy, she ignores societal norms and sets out to discover ...