Mystery Reads

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library Classic Novel Book Club is reading Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne while workers dig into the earth to repair the Lighthouse Library’s foundations. The digging halts when Lucy pulls a battered tin box containing a Civil War-era diary from the pit. Tucked inside is a hand-drawn map of the Outer Banks, accompanied by a page written in an indecipherable code.

Her husband’s boss makes an indecent proposal, and there’s no way young wife Chelsea would ever consider it in a million years. Or . . . will she? When her husband goes away for business for the first time in years, Chelsea suddenly feels more alone than she has ever felt in her life… and when his boss comes around to ‘check’ on her, she finds herself in an unexpected situation that could lead to her doing things she never dreamed she’d do. . . Hot wife novella: 10,000 words

Twenty million dollars' worth of missing gems bring Carrie Singleton's long-lost and larcenous dad back into her life, and it's up to Carrie to clear his name.

The first three books in the Essie Cobb Senior Sleuth Mysteries---BINGOED, PAPOOSED, and VALENTINED

A wolf shifter and a demon have both claimed me as their mate. I'm sure nothing will go wrong with that. When you hunt supernatural baddies for a living, you're used to danger. But for once, the danger I'm facing isn't my fault. Somebody killed my best friend and set me up to take the fall. Now, I've got two days to prove I'm innocent before it's open season on hunting me down. If that wasn't bad enough, I'm partnered with a royal enforcer who isn't what he seems.

The clock is ticking. The bodies are piling up. And only one man can stop the chaos. Kurt Harm is the CIA’s deadliest off-the-books asset—a precision killer with a past buried in blood. When the world’s most dangerous criminals go dark, Harm is the one who makes them disappear. From the back alleys of Rio to Sydney’s sunlit harbor, he’s hunting monsters. But this mission is different. The stakes are global. The timeline is razor-thin. And Harm’s own demons are rising fast. Explosive action. Ruthless enemies. A hero with nothing left to lose. This is the thriller you won’t be ...

Joya Hernandez, newly graduated from nursing school, takes a part-time job in the town’s fitness center. She had planned to become a nurse at the local hospital but then the facility closed, shutting the door on her original plans and forcing her to find a job where she can. But she likes working at the fitness center; she gets along with the members and she cares about the people. She’s from the wrong side of the tracks, the daughter of a single mother who owns a bar in a down-at-heel part of town. Life hasn’t been easy for them, but thanks to her mother’s determination and resolve...

Pulling off the perfect wedding is tricky. Pulling off the perfect wedding with the groom in jail? Impossible. The last thing Anna needs two weeks before her wedding is the groom winding up in jail for murder. Nothing and nobody is going to ruin her perfect July 4th wedding. And no way is she getting married in the jailhouse. Not happening. Instead, she’s off to uncover the actual murderer, because there’s no way her fiancé Logan would hurt anyone. He’s a cop. He fights crime. He doesn’t commit it! Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes solve the mystery before Anna’s wedding is ...

In New Oslo, the fundraisers are killer... Lena Larsen's fundraising dinner for the local senior center was supposed to be a quiet, sophisticated affair. But when a guest drops dead at the table, Lena's amateur sleuthing skills are put to the test. With a ghostly grandmother offering cryptic clues, a handsome sheriff struggling to remain impartial, and a cast of small-town characters each hiding their own secrets, Lena must unravel a web of lies before the killer strikes again. Can she solve the mystery and clear her name? Or will her meddling serve up a second course of murder?Granny's ...

Olivia Cameron always knew she was adopted. What she didn’t know is that her birth family would come back into her life 47 years later… Just days after her husband’s death, Olivia gets a call that she might have inherited a beach cottage in Cape May. Except she’s never been to Cape May, and the lawyer explains it has nothing to do with her husband’s recent passing. Nestled in front of an old vineyard, the cottage is exactly the fresh start she needs. Although she’ll need to provide proof of her identity within 30 days before it goes to the person next in line. When she arrives ...

After the loss of her husband a year ago, Grace Evans can’t continue with her career or her life in the city any longer. Lost emotionally, she sells her law practice and decides to spend her summer among the sandy beaches of Florida, taking care of an old inn in Naples Beach with her childhood friend Susan Willows. Maybe the lush palm trees and sun-drenched days filled with sand between her toes will help her find direction again. What she doesn’t expect to find is a secret tucked away in an old hidden locket that will change her life forever. And making things more complicated is local...

★★★★★ "Grace McKenna knows what you've done. She can see it in your eyes." —Author of Chasing Vega, Terry Shepherd ★★★★★ "Anslinger's attention to detail is incredible." — Amazon Reader Detective Grace McKenna has a gift. When she looks into the eyes of criminals, she is inundated with glimpses of their crimes. In book four of the McKenna Mystery Series, Grace’s gift takes her back to the 1950s, when Bridgeton, Massachusetts was run by high society families. When Grace and boyfriend, Mark Connolly, sign the paperwork on their newly purchased home, Grace learns ...

A cancelled wedding. A runaway bride. Can a community cop find the frightened fiancée before the church bells ring? With her sister’s nuptials nearing, Sergeant Keya Varma plans to dazzle in a drop-dead gorgeous outfit. But when the venue double books and cancels the ceremony, her sibling wonders if she’ll ever tie the knot. Taking the plunge to plead for help, they visit the other bride, dismayed to find she’s just disappeared. Desperate to track down the wife-to-be, Keya identifies sinister suspects all with a hand in the marriage. As her enquires continues, she questions whether ...

Family, friends, an unexpected sisterhood, the magic of new beginnings...mothers, daughters, brothers and sisters, sons and cousins...all finding their inner strength, facing life’s unexpected challenges, and sometimes starting over after tragedy and heartbreak, and every once in a while...finding the one true love of a lifetime. Everyone has a story... Amanda’s legacy was simple and unbelievably complicated...her sons were determined to make it happen exactly as she wanted. Hannah was distraught and in a downward spiral after her father’s death...her cousin Patricia understood but ...

Boxed set of the complete "Gwen's Ghosts" series—a Paranormal Women's Fiction collection: DANCE WITH THE DEAD (Book #1) From the age of eight, I've seen ghosts, with Petra Shearwater being my constant companion for thirty-four years. As a mystery novelist in need of a fresh start after a lackluster fifteen-year relationship, I return to Morley-on-Avon, the English town that fascinated me. At forty-two, I seek a new beginning, a new book, and possibly new love, particularly with the local blacksmith, Leo. However, the cottage I move into, Bluebells, holds a haunting secret—Victoria ...

The new mystery series for fans of Agatha Christie and cozy crime. Penny Küfer has finally realized her lifelong dream by beginning her first week of training as a detective. But instead of the hoped-for well wishes from friends and family, she finds herself disinherited by her class-conscious mother and dumped by her grasping fiancé. There is only one consolation left to her: the long-dreamed-of trip on the Occident Express, the most luxurious train ever to run on Europe's rails. But even before the ambitious young sleuth can enjoy her first glass of champagne, she finds herself with a ...

'Wonderful series. A must read!' Widowed cafe owner Anna Butler uncovers shocking secrets from her past as she tries to prove she did not murder her husband. Packed with twists you never saw coming, every book in this series leaves readers wanting more. Leena Clover presents a heartwarming cozy mystery series about family, friendship and the pursuit of a lifelong dream. The last three books build up to an exciting series finale! Recently widowed Anna Butler is busy testing cupcake recipes, trying to cope with the loss of her beloved husband. When the license for her dream cafe is rejected, ...

In New Oslo, the sweetest treats hide the darkest secrets... Lena Larsen's first date with Sheriff Mark was supposed to be simple: enjoy the local Bake-Off festival and indulge in some delicious pastries. But when the head judge drops dead in front of the whole town, Lena's plans for romance are put on hold. Armed with her grandmother's ghostly advice and her own keen eye for detail, Lena can't help but stick her nose where it doesn't belong. As she uncovers a web of rivalries, resentments, and hidden affairs, she realizes that in New Oslo, even the most respected citizens have something to...

"This series is my favorite new addiction!"~ Reviewer The coconut wireless is always humming in Ohia, Maui—and the latest topic of gossip is me, Kat Smith. I’m Secret Service, not Postal Service—but I feel like a criminal when I’m appointed postmaster to a cozy little village on Maui. Turns out I’ve stolen a well-earned promotion from beloved Auntie Pua Chang, who’s been there forever—when all I want to do is hide out in paradise until the witch hunt to kill my career is over. I haven't been in Ohia a day when Tiki the post office cat brings a prize to my doorstep—a piece of...

When secretary Annie Parkes is snatched from the street outside of her workplace, David Kane is tasked with finding her. Strong, highly skilled, and secretive, he’s a loner and an outsider; the only man the military trust to find Annie before her kidnappers make good on their promise to kill her. But as Kane pulls Annie from a derelict building, gunshots ringing through the deserted streets around them, he realizes rescuing her is just the beginning. He needs to keep her close to find out who is behind her capture, and to keep her safe.