Mystery Reads

Book #6 in the Phoenix Detective Series finds Ann Essex along with her cohorts, Bill Dancer, Suzanne Beck, Husband John, daughter Robin and her ever present companion Caela, Tom Van Pelt and a few others helping to solve murder on the wedding day of Bill and Suzanne's wedding day. Bodies abound. Who will be next? And will they be able to stave off any threats to young Robin and her friends? And why are the victims looking surprisingly like Bill Dancer?

In Dogwood Valley, even the dogs have alibis. When Olivia "Liv" Barker traded her high-powered legal career for a peaceful life as a dog walker in the quaint suburb of Dogwood Valley, she never expected her new job would lead her to unraveling a murder mystery. But when wealthy Mrs. Edith Pemberley is found strangled with a diamond-studded dog leash, suspicion falls on one of Liv's more challenging clients—a grumpy Rottweiler named Buster. Convinced of Buster's innocence and determined to save him from a grim fate, Liv digs deeper into the secrets of Dogwood Valley. What she uncovers is a...

If you liked the way your heart pounded when you read John Grisham’s The Firm, then Royce Wilson’s first book in the Preston Hollis series, The Diamond, is tailor-made for you. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be in business with organized crime, and want to get out? They say there is only one way in, and only one way out. The way in… is through someone else’s murder. The way out…well, you know. Detective Preston Hollis had never killed anyone during more than a decade in law enforcement. That all changes when one of his informants turns up dead and he is pulled, like a ...

★★★★★ "A fast-paced humorous but serious book!" - Reader review ___ Can the words of a Psychic influence your thoughts? Your Choices? Your Destiny? Nikki, an inspirited Aussie girl thought she had her life planned... GET A CAREER, FIND A MAN, START A FAMILY. Life seemed simple, until... accompanying her friend to a psychic changed her life forever. The psychic describes her soul mate. Mr Hollywood, a man with crystal green eyes. Flash forward 17 years, Nikki's career as a Hollywood Entertainment Lawyer is taking off, and the Green Eyed man is standing in front of her. The words of...

What could be better than watching the eclipse and eating eclairs with book club friends? Unfortunately, when Taffy is a no-show to book club, Meredith gets worried. And now she can’t get to her friend’s apartment. The roads are blocked by eclipse enthusiasts! Luckily, Meredith’s book club friends and her boyfriend Logan will do all they can to help figure out what happened to Taffy. This is a Merryville Mystery short story, book #5. Like the other mysteries in the series, this one can be read as a stand-alone.

After years of playing the field, I'm finally ready to settle down. Rather than waste time with the endless aggravation and frustration of dating, I decide to go through the What The Heart Wants matchmaking service. When the matchmaker pairs me with Scarlett, I'm more than intrigued. She's smart as hell and incredibly sexy, but too many cheating boyfriends have left her with a singular focus: getting pregnant and raising a child on her own. I may want a wife and family, but being an absentee baby daddy is a whole different story. Too bad Scarlett is more interested in her pregnancy project ...

5 SHORT STORY GEMS is a compendium of short stories written by New Zealand author Lance Morcan and published by Sterling Gate Books in 2019/2020. The stories, which have also been released as standalone Kindle ebooks, are aimed at lovers of thrillers, adventure, romance and historical fiction. Details follow… ONCE WERE BROTHERS – Life will never be the same for young Benjamin Thomas after disaffected Maoris abduct his identical twin brother in this moving short story adventure set in Nineteenth Century New Zealand. Mr. 100% – When New York defense lawyer Madison ‘Mr. 100%’ Harley ...

Harry is out of his depth. Detective Harry Hole is meant to keep out of trouble. A young Norwegian girl taking a gap year in Sydney has been murdered, and Harry has been sent to Australia to assist in any way he can. He's not supposed to get too involved. When the team unearths a string of unsolved murders and disappearances, nothing will stop Harry from finding out the truth. The hunt for a serial killer is on, but the murderer will talk only to Harry. He might just be the next victim.

Giant arachnids, killer snowmen, ravenous sharks, ghostly motorcades, and the mother of all lobsters—it’s all in here, including a new Samantha Moon story! Included in this collection: "Vampire Widow" - Tammy Moon hears a distant, telepathic cry for help... and convinces her mother, Samantha Moon, to go on a road trip deep into the heart of the Mojave desert to help something ancient... and massive. "Little Snowmen Everywhere" - They are new to town, trying to fit in. All is going well until the first snowfall. That's when their neighbors frantically start building little snowmen. Now, ...

New York Rainby Harper Stanwick, Sr. is a mystery novel set in 1920s New York City. The story follows Dennis Lament, a young man who seeks solitude and freedom but finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue and danger. Dennis Lament boards the S.S. Faraway with a firm resolve to avoid all human connections. His journey to New York, however, takes an unexpected turn when he receives a mysterious note from a supposed cousin, Amy Lament Riley. Desperate and in serious trouble, Amy begs for his help. Driven by curiosity and a sense of duty, Dennis decides to investigate. Upon arriving in New ...

Book 7 in the Southern Beach Cozy Mystery series set on Sophia Island, Florida, which is in real life Amelia Island, Florida. A long-hidden discovery in the tangles of Jewel and Craig Mantelle’s backyard reveals more family history than the Sophia Island Museum has in all its files. As the mystery unravels, Craig must confront the sordid past no one imagined in his family. Can he show his face on the island, knowing all this? Jewel and her lunch bunch are recovering from the holidays when a woman invited to their lunches realizes her husband is missing. He’s soon found dead, but ...

A scary night. A really weird theft. And some very unexpected helpers—or not-so-helpful helpers. Picture this: Halloween night at the cemetery. Full moon with fog creeping along the ground mixed with the intermittent sound of owls. Scary, right? It was nothing compared to what was to happen next. Hi, I’m Glinda Goodall, part owner of the Pink Iguana Sleuths, and I’m not afraid of death. Heck, my parents own the town’s funeral home. But when someone takes the pink granite tombstone of one of the town’s richest widows, I can’t help but wonder what kind of evil person or being did ...

Sultry, curvy Lily Melancon is going through a rough patch. Like, glass shards on top of sandpaper rough. She managed to get out of an abusive relationship only to have her ex kidnap their 5-year-old son just days before the custody hearing. Lily has become so difficult to be around that her best friend, Alexa, has finally given up hope and abandoned her in Shorty’s Pub. Gerrit Rousseau is an oasis of calm in a stormy world, downplaying his smoldering good looks as he tends bar and keeps his head down. His emotions are not easily stirred, but the brazen, tattooed Lily is lighting a fire. ...

When movie producer Cody Ziegler goes missing from The Homestead’s Millionaires’ Row, his wife, retired actress Olivia, immediately claims there’s foul play afoot. A million-dollar ransom demand soon follows, with clear instructions not to involve the cops. In desperation she enlists the help of Moira, Rick, Philip and Lizzie, aka the Retired Detectives Club. Racing against the clock, the four retirees set to work.

Heart-stopping killer thrillers that fans of mysteries will be hooked on, by one of the best new authors in crime fiction. Ruthless killers...grisly deaths...escalating stakes... A clandestine late night meeting in Kentucky, a murder in a seedy St. Paul motel, a mysterious investigator operating in the shadows, and dueling political masterminds all collide to provide Mac McRyan with the ultimate test in Electing To Murder.

For fans of John Grisham comes Royce Wilson’s legal mystery- thriller The Slayer Statute in which a teenage boy is on trial for murdering his mother and shooting her fiancé. The lead investigator for the prosecution believes the police made a mistake and the young man is innocent, and the fiancé staged the scene. Both stand to inherit millions from the woman’s death. However, Florida has a slayer statute which states that anyone responsible for the death of another cannot benefit from that person’s murder. Forensics takes center stage in this book that will have you changing sides ...

On Christmas Eve, the Hardy Family are once again in a predicament on their horse farm. Someone or something has been stealing from them in the night. Was it human, or was it a ghostly presence who took all the coal? Or could it be Father Christmas, also known Santa Claus, Saint Nick, or Sinterclaas? And what was that giant beast that the farm workers saw galloping past? In a story that glances at Christmas myths from different countries, most of them scary, Sergeant Frank Hardy and his friend Hop Li search in the darkness to find out what's going on. Meanwhile, Mette gets to know Grace, ...

Two brothers. One Woman. And a whole lot of commotion. They can't let the others know about their romance. Good thing they have those warm summer nights. When a set of billionaire twins unwittingly offer Ava a chance to escape her abusive boyfriend, she takes it. Who knew the one-way trip to Costa Rica would lead them to a relocation program in Haven Hills, where the twins' siblings, including their "oldest ornery brother" Richard live in hiding? As Ava finds her place in their new destination, she also finds herself drawn to none other than the oldest brother, despite obvious advances from...

Alone in the wilderness. Someone is watching. Can two women survive after they realize the secrets that haunt them have become the reason to hunt them? Best friends Kate and Veronica set out to forget troubles at work and home with a weekend camping trip in Yosemite National Park’s vast and rugged backcountry. But their laughter over old times gives way to a growing sense of menace—that explodes into violence, setting off a life-and-death pursuit. But who are the hunters—and who are the prey? What explains the two unlikely hikers who keep crossing their path? And why does a handsome ...

SWEET REVENGE - COZY MYSTERY SERIES - SHORT READ If beauty had a name, it would be Anna Townsend. Adopted in Korea by an American couple and brought to the United States, Anna was forever grateful for a privileged lifestyle and family who promised her the world. As she blossomed as a sweet child into a beautiful and talented teenager, she always wondered if more was expected of her. On that fateful day of her 20th birthday party, the man who adopted her was murdered. The only person she could turn to was Father Eli.