Humorous Detective

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 deadly accident. A grieving boyfriend. A detective duo that can barely stand each other. When a high-speed collision leaves a young woman dead and her boyfriend devastated, Detectives Flynt and Steele are called to investigate what looks like an open-and-shut case. But as the bruises from the crash fade, a darker truth emerges—this was no accident. Someone wanted her dead, and they’re ready to kill again. Steele, ever the pragmatist, wants to follow procedure and let the evidence lead the way. Flynt, however, feels something more sinister lurking beneath the surface, and his instinct ...

A missing manuscript and a dead author spell a narrative of chaos in Bloomsville. When reclusive author Ashton Blackwood is found lifeless at Shelf Indulgence, I’m drawn into a plot twist thicker than the most intricate novel. I’m Grace Thompson—florist by trade, sleuth by necessity. Rosie, my terrier with a nose for mysteries, sniffs out intrigue, guiding me to characters ranging from rival authors to disgruntled editors. The stakes rise higher than a climactic chapter as I join forces with Chloe, my forensic partner. Sheriff Waverly admits this mystery is more baffling than a poorly...

Are you a fan of Jack Reacher, John Wick, and The Equalizer?! Meet Ray Price. Ex-Cop, Ex-Plosive! "There's so many laugh out-loud moments, you almost forget everyone is fighting for their lives." Ray Price's days as a Detroit cop are over. When word drops that his estranged younger brother is missing, Ray escapes from his broken career--and even more broken marriage--to return to his small Michigan hometown looking for answers. Teaming up with an on-the-run hooker, Ray quickly becomes convinced someone involved with the powerful, corrupt family running the town made his brother disappear....

Fed up with her wild behavior, 16-year-old Lex’s parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than shoveling manure. He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach Lex the family business. She quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next.

In a small town in the Midwest called Pleasantville, lived a special group of kids who attended Mrs. Missledine’s 4th grade class. Like most 4th grade students, they spend most of their day learning math, science, history and reading. But sometimes they are called upon for a special task. These are no ordinary students. They belong to a special unit called the 4th Grade Detective Agency. You won’t find them working with the police or any other law enforcement agency. Their special skills are sought out by other students and sometimes the teachers they work for. The reader tries to ...

Monty and Ellen Drew’s vacation in the South Seas takes a spooky turn when their cruise ship loses all power. And the temperature drops...unnaturally. Ellen believes an evil presence has taken over the ship...except Captain Norris doesn’t believe her. But with the ship dead in the water—and no rescue happening—the captain asks Ellen and Monty for assistance in overcoming possible supernatural forces. When the crew and passengers begin to mysteriously fall asleep and don’t awaken, Ellen and Monty must discover how the entity is holding the ship hostage... And why no rescuers can ...

Beach wedding and a murder… Throw in an angry mermaid threatening to destroy the wedding! FREE on Kindle Unlimited! There’s trouble in Paradise, and the Rowling family is on the case. The island wedding of Mandy’s BFF Fiona and famous exorcist Brian Powers becomes the backdrop for a murder investigation when the body of a notorious loan shark is found in the dunes. But how did a man drown so far from the water? An angry mermaid threatens to wreak havoc if the killer isn’t caught, but with no spirits to question, does Mandy stand a ghost of a chance to solve the case? Find out in ...

THESE WOMEN ARE GRAPES DRESSED IN RAISIN COSTUMES… That's Hilde, Emma and Vivien, inseparable friends... On a Mediterranean vacation in the coastal paradise of Vistabelle. But very close to them are murder and mayhem, lobsters and pink sand! Hilde, Emma and Vivien get to work. Appearing harmless, and adorable, they learn details the detectives could never get. Of course, they are not alone in this! Honorio, the elegant, sleuthy cat helps them in this dangerous adventure. Emma believes her late Uncle Roddy inhabit Honorio's body. Our witty friends keep their school spirit and sisterly ...

After saving the grim and gritty alien city of Down Here from something big, mean, and mind-bendingly horrible, Dan is looking forward to unwinding in the closest available bar. Annoyingly, the universe has other ideas. Instead, Dan finds himself investigating a cheating husband, two horrible murders, and the potential enslavement of everyone in the galaxy. With his caseload stretching his woefully limited detective skills, his car in pieces, and the whole "being dead" thing not doing him any favors, Dan has no choice but to ask his friends for help.

Romanov diamond… Fabergé egg… and a Murder! FREE on Kindle Unlimited! Mom-to-be Mandy just wants to enjoy a stress-free maternity leave, but before she can say pink or blue, her well-meaning dad-in-law Dan Rowling hands her another case to crack. With his memories slightly scrambled, a newly dead groom-to-be can’t recall how he ended up deceased, but his murder is definitely related to the theft of a Fabergé egg from one of society’s upper crustiest of families. The pressure’s on since solving the case won’t just free a trapped soul and restore countless poached objects to ...

Isabel Spellman's life consists of 24-hour surveillance, routine investigations into her acquaintances, and listening devices planted in her deadbolt-locked room. For a 28-year-old in a family composed almost entirely of private investigators or former cops, the tools of the trade turn typical family dysfunction into commonplace espionage.

A hit-and-run. A frozen body. A missing ghost. Can this psychic defrost the truth? FREE on Kindle Unlimited! Talking to ghosts is a secret, but when a sorceress catches her in the act, Mandy Rowling’s world turns upside down. Sara Abe, a detective and a local sorceress discovers Mandy’s ability. Sara asks Mandy to teach her how to speak to ghosts. A group of tourists on the Midsummer Spooky Tour found a frozen body in a bamboo forest. But the body was not part of the tour. The big question: How did someone freeze to death in the middle of summer? The bigger question: Where is the ghost?...

Get ready for a New Year’s Eve like no other in the Town of Tempest, hosted by Mayor Sam Simpleton. When a party-goer turns up dead, complete with a cryptic note, the night shifts from festive to mysterious. And here’s a twist – the story unravels in real-time as you turn the pages. Enter Guy Vanduex, a former chef turned private detective. For Guy, clues are ingredients, each one essential to the final recipe – or solution. With the police not on the scene, Guy and his sidekick Sylvia step up to unravel the evening’s mystery. They’re faced with a list of quirky suspects and ...

If there was one piece of advice Olive Crisp always followed, it was that “one should never attempt to solve a crime on an empty stomach..." 1970s. Cambridge, England. A SMALL-TIME ART HEIST: When two separate robberies take place at the Fitzwilliam Museum simultaneously, while Olive and Hugo are visiting the galleries, they set about investigating who could have committed the crimes. A COSY COMMUNITY: Meanwhile, Blythe faces a romantic dilemma when she's forced to decide between the two conflicting sides of her heart: being a bookshop owner or becoming a wife. And Olive has to confront ...

Thrift shop til someone drops... After a family friend dies under suspicious circumstances, Jessica Braun agrees to hold the estate sale for the deceased. She’s prepared for the job and bringing some help—her neighbor, her mother, and a new pup too. All is not as it seems, however, when drama erupts around the will. Selling off priceless heirlooms places Jess right in the middle of the conflict—and in the middle of the danger. When family feuds turn deadly—and the clues are pointing to murder—where will the Secondhand Sleuth find the answers she needs to bring the killer to justice?

It’s another murder in the little town of Roble. But not to worry, Romaine and Auntie Zanne are on it! It’s the 100th Boule of the Distinguished Ladies’ Society of Voodoo Herbalists. They’ve gotten together to eat, drink, be merry and vote for the next Lesser Mambo, a lifetime appointment second only to the Most High (bet you’ll never guess who holds that position). But the second in command spot keeps becoming vacant—that’s because the women who fill it keep dying off. This time though, it looks like murder. During an alcohol-infused dinner and a tall glass full of absinth, a...

One for sorrow, two for spice triggers a game of three blind mice. While vacationing in New England, PI Jax Diamond and his courageous canine partner, Ace, bite off more than they can chew when two small-town deaths reveal two big-time killers, and the locals don’t take too kindly to strangers. Laura Graystone, Broadway star, auto expert, and Jax’s heartthrob, is once again front and center digging for clues while trying to ditch an old boyfriend. That is, until her brother becomes Jax’s prime suspect. Then all hell breaks loose, and Ace is left in the lurch, tracking down leads with ...

Relics. Risks. Revelations. Angus Darrow just wants to finish renovating his Exmouth flat. Charlotte Lockwood just wants something — anything — to distract her from the endless smell of paint. When the local museum reports missing artefacts, Charlotte takes the case. But what seems like a simple undercover job soon turns into something far more sinister. Meanwhile, Angus can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right with his neighbour... As Charlotte and Angus race to uncover the truth, it’s not just missing artefacts they need to worry about… it’s staying one step ...

Small-town gossip, a hair salon owner, and a dead body. After notorious town rivals get into a fight, one of them winds up dead. It’s shear chaos at Ruby Tate’s hair salon once the sheriff arrests the prime suspect. Ruby agrees to help uncurl the mystery and save the reputation of her young receptionist’s mother. Luckily, her puzzle-solving skills are a cut above the rest. But can Ruby and her eccentric bestie piece together the clues before someone else ends up hurt? __________________________________________________________________________ This delightful cozy mystery is full of ...