Humorous Detective

Jobe Carson. Private Detective. Single Dad. Inveterate Grouser. And now he's back. This time he's running down a serial killer who's picking off folks jogging in the woods. But what's killing them? And can Jobe and his fractious family find a clear trail to the answer before someone else DNFs permanently? Jobe is out on a trail run when he witnesses a female jogger jerk suddenly and fall into a ravine. He calls the police, but they cart him off to jail. After getting sprung by his lawyer he sets out to clear his name and runs into a series of suspects including a backwoods hiker, a Vietnam ...

Charlie McGinley writes about tough guys…then he has to become one. Fed up with writing cheesy detective fiction, Charlie dreams of writing something serious. Unfortunately, his publisher insists that he keep cranking out hard-boiled Johnny Dent PI novels. When Charlie stumbles across an urban legend about Thomas Edison inventing a machine that could speak to the dead, he thinks he’s found the perfect gimmick to spice up his next book. That is, until he builds the "Ghost Machine" and accidentally uses it... And people in his small New Mexico town start dying. Suddenly, Charlie must ...

Although it is autumn in the small English town of Bishop’s Lacey, the chapel is decked with exotic flowers. Yes, Flavia de Luce’s sister, Ophelia, is at last getting hitched, like a mule to a wagon. “A church is a wonderful place for a wedding”, muses Flavia, “surrounded as it is by the legions of the dead, whose listening bones bear silent witness to every promise made at the altar.”

Woman Brutally Murdered on Cruise The luxury cruise ship Grand Voyager is headed full speed to Dubai after stops in Sri Lanka and India. Meg has just attended a big fat royal wedding and is looking forward to some relaxing sea days. Her hot dinner date is interrupted by the announcement of a passenger's death. Rushing to the spot, Meg is sad to learn it is her new friend who was celebrating her 50th wedding anniversary. Further investigation reveals the old woman was stabbed in her suite. Meg can't believe the bashful mother of two that security apprehended is capable of such a heinous ...

In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself—quite convincingly—as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day.

A body in a lake. A castle on the ridge. Can she sweep the streets clean and restore her town’s legendary appeal? Camelot, West Virginia. Mayor Dreama Avalon longs to see her small town thrive again. And her noble cause begins by transforming her ailing community in the heart of coal country into a bustling tourist hotspot. But when a former beauty queen turns up dead, the determined widow fears a growing crime wave means her home will never reclaim its prosperous past. Appointing a brave newcomer as her new white knight police chief, Dreama discovers the troublemaker victim was already ...

There are places in this world where even angels fear to tread. In book 2 of the gripping thriller, Cain Haight — a drunk ex-soldier, his opportunist ex-wife, her redneck mother, and a sweet Amish woman are on a mission to rescue two kids from the rebel soldiers who kidnapped them. But they have to survive journeying across the Tennessee landscape filled with nightmarish creatures. The words of Cain’s grandmother echo in his ears. “There are places in this world where even angels fear to tread.” But that’s where we’re headed, straight into Hell. Grab your copy and start reading ...

Move over Bond. Here comes Kiku! Get Ready to Strap in, Buckle up and Hang on for the ride of your life! Kiku has gone rogue. Now hunted by the Russian mob and the Yakuza, Kiku heads to Hong Kong’s underbelly to rescue her lover. Faced with impossible odds, Kiku must outwit, outfight, and outrun everyone trying to capture her and collect the two-million-dollar bounty. Rats fueled by greed and vengeance, driven by ruthless leaders, run rampant, all hoping to score. The mob, Yakuza, and Hong Kong’s black market all want to fight—so Kiku started a war. Award-winning, Wall Street Journal ...

How far would you go, to save the ones you love? Kiku’s quest to rescue her lover has gone disastrously wrong. With the odds stacked against her, her enemies think she’ll run and hide to save herself. They’re wrong—dead wrong. Kiku decides to take the fight to them instead. Now the hunter, Kiku, will stop at nothing to protect those she loves. WARNING: If you have plans, cancel them! You won’t be able to stop reading, so get ready to strap in, buckle up, and hang on for an action-thrill ride of your life! Award-winning, Wall Street Journal bestselling author Christopher Greyson ...

You probably already know my name. Lucy Chase, the woman who doesn’t remember murdering her best friend. Even though they couldn’t find enough evidence to charge me, I know you all think I did it. That’s OK. I realise being found wandering the streets the next day covered in her blood wasn't a great look. Believe me, I’m as frustrated as you are. I’d love to know if I’m a murderer – it’s the sort of thing you really should know about yourself, isn’t it? And now, thanks to true-crime podcast Listen for the Lie, I finally have the chance to find out.

The complete BBC Radio collection bringing together two full-cast dramatisations of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently novels. In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency Dirk Gently has an unshakable belief in the interconnectedness of all things, but his Holistic Detective Agency mainly succeeds in tracking down missing cats for old ladies. Then Dirk stumbles upon an old friend behaving bizarrely - and he's drawn into a four-billion-year-old mystery that must be solved if the human race is to avoid immediate extinction....

Meg Butler sets sail on the Grand Voyager on a luxury world cruise, eager to visit 30 countries before she's 30. But she hasn't planned on running into murder! The ship is hosting a Bingo tournament for the length of the cruise. Several passengers are competing for the grand prize which is rumored to be in six figures. Meg runs into a friendly older man who boasts of being a skilled player. He has developed a fool proof strategy that is guaranteed to win him big money. Meg is warmed by his affectionate manner toward her and feels he is the father figure she has always yearned for. Disaster ...

Good friends Caroline and Laura were in daily contact. When Laura fails to return her calls, Caroline is prompted to find out what is going on. It had been a lover’s tiff; Robert informed her, that had provoked Laura to walk out on him. Caroline knew that in such circumstances her best friend would turn to her for sympathy and advice, yet she hadn’t. There had to be other factors at work. Caroline, together with Robert, begin to track Laura’s movements over the past week. They follow a trail that leads them into the dark world of illegal antiques, illicit drug dealing and money ...

"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 MYSTERIOUS MURDER AT MIDNIGHT: When a student falls from the turrets of King’s College, Cambridge and the police rule his death as accidental, Olive consults her tarot cards - which confirm her suspicions of murder - and decides to take the investigation into her own hands. A COSY COMMUNITY: Fortunately, the college porter is a loyal customer of Olive’s cafe, The Biscuit Tin, and when she plies him with his ...

I wanted a surprise party, not a zombie apocalypse. For my 42nd birthday, I think I’m getting a surprise party. But my best friend didn’t invite me to her office for a party. She wants me to find a missing corpse. Dr. Faith Jackson, the Regional Medical Examiner, lost a body on her watch. If I can’t find the missing corpse, Faith could lose her job. And a murder suspect will get off scot-free. The Reluctant Corpse is anything but the start of the zombie apocalypse. And the odds are good - I might end up in a dumpster before it’s all said and done. Must be Thursday. The Reluctant ...

Verity King has a problem with her husband. He’s been turned into a frog, and contrary to opinion, that’s not an improvement. A cryptic message, a severed finger in her fridge, and no signs of forced entry make it clear to Tempest why he was called, but Mr King’s worrying transformation is just the first act. Almost before he can add up the clues, a second victim confirms the theme and Tempest finds himself up against someone performing modern retellings of the Grimm Brothers’ Fairy Tales … with real live human characters. Tempest also has a new partner and it’s not his old army...

In Undercover: Karma, Detective Carlo D'Scenzi finds himself stretched thin between two high-stakes cases and a ticking clock. Tasked with investigating the Michigan Patriots militia, he and his partner Big Lou must determine if the group poses a real threat or is simply exercising free speech. Meanwhile, they’re also assigned to track down the elusive duo of robbers, Benny and G, wreaking havoc across Detroit. Short on manpower, Carlo reluctantly brings in Red for backup, hoping it’s enough to get the job done while avoiding a mountain of follow-up work. But as the cases twist through ...

Think Electraweave. Think of fabrics of tomorrow! Textile scientist Eliza Bennett attends a textile conference where she plans to present her work, accompanied by her talking cat, Merlin. Their plans are disrupted by a blackout during which Eliza's presentation banner is stolen, leading them to uncover a complex plot involving corporate espionage, a mysterious surveillance network, and a dangerous rival named Croft who seeks to weaponize Eliza's technology for his own gain. Eliza's revolutionary material called Electraweave nullifies static discharge and has potential applications in space....

Thrift shop til someone drops... The Vintage Vendetta When she receives a strange invitation to her aunt’s midnight funeral in the cozy Minnesota town of Pine Grove, Jessica Braun’s life is going nowhere. Her marriage is over, and her dead-end job has run out of road. Now she’s inheriting an old log house full of collected treasures and memories, and learns Aunt Daphne’s death was no accident. To make matters worse, Jess is the hopeless deputy’s prime suspect. After a second old-timer is silenced and a third may be in danger, she dives into her own investigation and the town’s ...

Sebastian Snail was bored. As usual! But when his oldest and best friend Caruthers Caterpillar had ALL his boots stolen from outside his house one night, Sebastian realised that this was a job for Sebastian Snail - Private Detective. Bobby Bluebottle, the Meadow Lea policeman, is more interested in his newspaper than catching criminals, so Sebastian decides to interview any insects who might have noticed or heard something unusual. His clever mind soon works out what happened, but will he be able to catch the culprits?