Old Detective Mysteries

They came for the music... but stayed for the mystery. Essie Cobb and her gal pals at Happy Haven Retirement Home are thrilled when a new choir forms under the direction of a dashing young conductor. At long last, there's something to sing about—harmonies, high notes, and a chance to steal the show at the upcoming spring concert. But the fun turns flat when Essie catches the mysterious choir pianist sneaking around where he doesn’t belong—specifically, trying to break into a resident’s apartment. Suddenly, the choir doesn’t sound so sweet. With her usual mix of charm, wit, and a ...

In the tenth murderous case for Richard Jury, the New Scotland Yard superintendent witnesses a killing in a West Yorkshire inn called the Old Silent, while his highborn, amateur colleague, Melrose Plant wishes to he could perform one as he drives his impossible Aunt Agatha to the Old Swan in Harrogate.

The heist was legendary, still talked about 20 years after the priceless paintings disappeared from one of Boston's premier art museums. Most thought the art was lost forever, buried deep, sold off overseas, or, worse, destroyed as incriminating evidence. But when paint chips from the most valuable piece stolen, Gentlemen in Black by a Spanish master, arrives at the desk of a Boston journalist, the museum finds hope and enlists Spenser's help.

Thrift shop til someone drops... A Donated Death 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 lawyer lands in deep water. The deputy is ready to let Jess help investigate when the quiet town is ...

A missing child. A half-baked ransom demand. Can a community cop sift through the clues and rescue the tot before teatime? Sergeant Keya Varma’s culinary dreams come true as she joyfully opens her own café. And attending her sister’s wedding is the cherry on the cake. But her excitement sinks like a souffle when a customer’s little boy disappears. Shaken as well as stirred into action, the part-time police officer joins the search, but she’s shattered when even a ransom payment doesn’t bring the rug rat back home. For Keya, justice is served with a side of scones, but can she ...

A brutal murder and the kidnapping of a two-year old boy disrupt the return of Milton PD Detective Steve Marks from his Florida vacation. A homeless man has been savagely murdered behind the Trips Aces Casino and Henry Burnett, the son of the owner of the Burnett Furniture empire, has been kidnapped. Clues in both cases are scarce. As more homeless men become victims of the murderer dubbed The Shadow, and there is nothing pointing to little Henry's return, the pressure on Marks and his young partner, Anders Hedberg, mounts. Milton's mayor wants fast action in both cases while the Burnett ...

"The dog came back." "This is a joke, right?" "No, it isn't.... So do you want to hear the rest of it?" Dumbly, Jury nodded. The rest of it is told by Harry Johnson, a stranger who sits down next to Richard Jury as he's drinking in a London pub called the Old Wine Shades. Over three successive nights Harry spins this complicated story about a good friend of his whose wife and son (and dog) disappeared one day as they were viewing property in Surrey.

One minute, my favorite pop star, Lizzie Lizard was on stage right in front of me, and in the next minute, she was passed out in front of the whole audience. They say that it was an accident, but in all my years of detective work, I've discovered there are no such things as coincidences. No one gets away with hurting my favorite singer.

Blondie's back, and someone is going to be in trouble. A horrible smell has forced the fourth grade class to retreat to the library, but at least they can look forward to the school's fall festival Friday night. Or can they? When spooky noises start filling the gym, it looks like fall festival will be canceled after all. Can Blondie figure out the source of the smell and the scary noises before Friday night? She might need a special nose to help her! If you love mysteries like Nancy Drew, Nancy Clancy, or Cam Jansen, then Blondie McGhee is your girl. Of course, Blondie would not the great ...

Following a passionate and troubled love affair with a pretty widow named Jane Holdsworth, Jury finds himself, unaccountably, a suspect in a murder investigation. Detained in London, Jury sends his friend Melrose Plant, former Earl of Caverness, to the Holdsworth family's Lake District home to pose as an eccentric librarian. Plant discovers that his catalogue cards contain less data on Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey than they do on tantalizing questions about the Holdsworths: What happened to Crabbe Holdsworth's first wife? What happened to his son, Graham?

Shockwaves are sent through the sleepy village of Trill when a woman’s body is discovered in a local school. Beatrice Baynes - interfering, overbearing and spiteful - was not well liked. But no one expects a body to be found on their doorstep.... And how did the annual festival at Meldon School turn from a lighthearted celebration to a gruesome crime scene? With the local constabulary completely stumped, Scotland Yard’s Chief Detective Inspector Pollard and Detective Sergeant Toye are called in to investigate.

Jim Booker was once the best at finding the missing in Los Angeles—until his own body betrayed him. Now he's dying of AIDS-related cancer, propped up by painkillers and the loyalty of Numi, the only friend who hasn’t abandoned him. But when his former best friend comes begging for help to find his missing wife, Booker can't say no. Not just because the woman is Olivia—the woman Booker once loved—but because finding the lost is the one thing that still gives his ruined life meaning. When Olivia turns up dead, her throat slashed, Booker refuses to let the disease killing him stop him ...

After setting up his own detective agency on Lornea Island, Billy Wheatley delves into a decades-old mystery that has haunted the community for years. But when he befriends troubled teenager Amber and a man from his father's past arrives with a bag full of cash, Billy finds himself in the middle of a web of deceit and danger.

My 40th birthday gift? Having to arrest my one-night stand for murder. I should have known my big birthday would be a disaster. First, my family forgot—classic 16 Candles move. Then, perimenopause decided to crash the party with an attitude. And, to top it off, I’m in big trouble for punching my boss - but those were extenuating circumstances. Things were looking up when a drop-dead gorgeous silver fox offered himself as my birthday present. I found myself in the arms of the sexiest stranger I’ve ever met. It was supposed to be one unforgettable night. Until I had to arrest him for ...

Where Old Bones Lie is set on an isolated archaeological dig in the Cotswolds. When a body is found near the site, the suspects, witnesses, and clues all conflict, and the disappearance of a group of New Age travellers just seems to add to the mystery. Superintendent Markby and Meredith Mitchell must untangle the mess, and in doing so find themselves in a dangerous and uncompromising situation.

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?

Blondie McGhee loves solving mysteries and one day hopes to be a top-notch detective. First she must survive the fourth grade with all the mysteries elementary school holds. Blondie's dad has a mystery for Blondie to solve, but Blondie doesn't have time to solve his funny riddles, she has a serious case of her own. Blondie's teacher, Mrs. Clemmons, has been acting weird lately. Between getting sick from mystery brownies to threatening notes left on her desk, can Blondie find out who is messing with her favorite teacher before its too late? Praise for At Your Service! Blondie McGhee ...

The aging millionairess has a problem: where is her young playboy husband getting all his money? To help find the answer, Archie infiltrates a party at her palatial estate. But her late-night murder ruins the festive mood...and a letter bomb from a powerful crime boss makes Nero Wolfe do the unthinkable - run for his life. Suddenly Archie finds himself on his own, trying to find a killer without the help of his old mentor. For to all appearances, Wolfe has vanished. The career of the world’s most famous detective has ended in cowardice and disgrace...or has it?

The Owl Express: Nate, the great detective, and his dog Sludge, hit the rails on their latest case. Their mission: To guard an owl named Hoot. Hoot belongs to Nate’s cousin, Olivia Sharp, and she thinks someone on the train might be out to get her feathered friend. Then Hoot disappears! The Tardy Tortoise: The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and someone is eating the flowers in Nate's garden. A green tortoise is slowly stepping across the lawn, and Nate is slowly following him. It may take all of Nate the Great's patience and sharp eyesight to find out slowly.

Days before the outbreak of WW2, in the great house of one of London’s famous socialite hostesses, a guest is shot dead in his bedroom. The local CID, aware of the prominence and influence of the owner and her typical guests, passes the matter to Scotland Yard. The case is given to Chief Inspector David Adair and two of his colleagues. Adair finds that none of the other guests knew the victim, or at least hadn’t seen him since his childhood. None of the servants had ever met him at all. The detectives’ first job was to find a motive – and that would not prove an easy task.