Society Mystery

Isabella Proctor has a new super power... ...finding dead bodies. What did she ever do to deserve this? She’d like to trade this power in for something, anything else – talk to ants, mix the perfect mojito, anything other than finding her friends dead. After her neighbor is murdered, her not-so-ordinary life takes a sharp turn into the weird – magic amulets, secret societies, deadly feuds, and talking cats. Things go from bad to worse when another friend is murdered and she can’t go to Detective Palmer for help. Can she capture a witch so much older and stronger than she is or will ...

As the residents of Miracle Springs, North Carolina, select their costumes, plan parties, and get excited for a night of tricks or treats, Nora joins in on the festivities by hosting medium memoirist Lara Luz at the bookstore. Charismatic and compelling, Lara mesmerizes the audience with her life story. Struck by a bolt of lightning as a child, she was pronounced dead only to be resurrected with the ability to connect with those on the other side.

Conspiracy theories, and particularly the belief that elements of the world are secretly controlled by individuals or groups, have been around for as long as people have lived in groups. Perhaps that’s inevitable - after all, those who are excluded from power are very likely to be inclined to see their position not as an outcome of their own choices or situation but because of the secret machinations of shadowy groups.

Spirited debutante Lady Olivia McLeod, cherished daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Strathaven, has two interests: solving mysteries and winning the love of her rescuer and secret crush, the infamous Duke of Hadleigh. When Livy joins Lady Charlotte Fayne's charity for young ladies and discovers that it is a front for a covert investigative agency, she is thrilled. Livy dedicates herself to solving a deadly case. Little does she realize that the path to danger will also lead to her heart's deepest desire.

Miracle Springs is a place of healing. Strangers flock there hoping the natural hot springs, five-star cuisine, and renowned spa can cure their ills. And, if none of that works, they often find their way to Miracle Books, where, over a fresh-baked scone from the Gingerbread House bakery, they exchange their stories with owner Nora Pennington in return for a carefully chosen book. That's Nora's special talent. But when a visiting businessman reaches out to Nora for guidance, he's found dead on the train tracks before he can keep their appointment.

Nora Pennington, the owner of Miracle Books, believes that a well-chosen novel can bring healing and hope. But she and the rest of the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society know that, sometimes, practical help is needed, too. Such is the case with the reed-thin girl hiding in the fiction section of Nora's store, wearing a hospital ID and a patchwork of faded bruises. She calls herself Abilene, and, although Nora and her friends offer work, shelter, and a supportive ear, their guest isn't ready to divulge her secrets.

Psychic Ryley St. James has a million problems, but a haunted house isn't one of them. Until now. When a woman is attacked in a haunted house and sent to the hospital fighting for her life, her powerful fiance blackmails Ryley into uncovering the deadly secrets hidden on the property. The house reeks of ill warnings and bad tidings. This isn't what Ryley calls a typical haunting. It's an infestation, and the evil spirit residing inside refuses to cooperate. Now she'll have to risk her life to save her brother's career, her multi-million-dollar foundation, and her new unorthodox family.

Could these ancient stories and modern theories hold the key to understanding mankind's true history? Open your mind, begin the journey to uncover the hidden truths of our civilization today.

This is a boxed set from the Rutledge Historical Society Cozy Mystery series. It includes the first four books: Message for Murder, Death over Divorce, Kousins Kan't Kill, and Rogues to Riches.

November, 1923. An invitation to a house party at the estate of Parkview Hall is a welcome respite for Olive Belgrave, a newly minted working girl who’s become the solver of high society’s trickiest problems. But when the sumptuous black-tie event turns deadly, Olive’s cousin Peter becomes the main suspect. Olive must unmask a sophisticated killer before an innocent man takes the blame . . . because murder doesn’t RSVP.

November, 1923. Olive’s school chum, Gigi, invites Olive to London because Gigi’s dotty grandmother fears for her life—or so she’s said to Gigi. However Olive is surprised to find that the dowager is far from muddled. The sharp and imperious matriarch refuses to admit to her worries and sends Olive on her way. Without a client or case, Olive is swept into the glittering lifestyle of the “fast set,” and their decadent excess. But then among the cocktails and champagne, a murderer strikes during a frivolous party game, and Olive realizes the dowager’s fears were well-founded.

When Lois Grover moves into the Beacon of Hope Assisted Living Center, she fears boredom will consume her, but a fellow resident soon invites her to a secret meeting of the Twilight Society. This quirky group of elderly residents, with a variety of skills, talents, and expertise, helps lost souls, tethered to the world of the living, by solving the mysteries keeping them from moving on. The center itself—a historic colonial mansion that has functioned as a hospital, a school, and a sanitarium—possesses mysteries of its own that both help and hinder the society's investigations.

After an odd encounter at a grand masquerade ball, Lady Emily becomes embroiled in the murder investigation of one of the guests, a sometime actress trying to pass herself off as the mysterious heiress and world traveler Estella Lamar. Each small discovery, however, leads to more questions. Was the intended victim Miss Lamar or the imposter? And who would want either of them dead?

Can Sarah stop the society’s plan before it’s too late? Drawn into Serene Bay’s most dangerous conspiracy yet, Sarah uncovers shocking truths about a secret society determined to protect its legacy at any cost. Her search for answers brings her closer to a long-buried mystery—one that could change everything if exposed, and she must uncover it before the society does. "Suspenseful and addictive, a thrilling dive into small-town mysteries." With every second ticking away, Sarah and her allies must unravel hidden clues and evade the society’s watchful eyes and relentless pursuit. As...

As the owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington figures all the wet weather this spring is at least good for business. The local inns are packed with stranded travelers. Since a little rain never hurt anyone, Nora rides her bike over to the flea market one sodden day and buys a bowl from Danny, a Cherokee potter. But the next day, a little rain turns into a lot of rain, and the Miracle River overflows its banks. Amid the wreckage of a collapsed footbridge, a body lies within the churning water. Nora and the sheriff both doubt the ruling of accidental drowning.

A Hollywood dream turns into a nightmare. In the early 1990s, Jonah Carter almost made it big. With a breakout role in a well-regarded film, he had never been closer to achieving his dreams. But behind the scenes, dark forces devised a plan of their own, costing the briefly shining star both his dreams and freedom. Years later, Jonah is still bound to the City of Angels, living in solitude with the echoes of a long-forgotten dream. His peaceful life comes crashing down with the reappearance of his detective ex-boyfriend. Hayden is investigating the disappearance of a young actor, and the ...

Following a whirlwind engagement to Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst, Stella Kendrick is finding her footing within an elite social circle in picturesque rural England. Except tea time with refined friends can be more dangerous than etiquette faux pas - especially in the company of Lady Philippa, the woman Lyndy was once set to marry, and her husband, the ostentatious Lord Fairbrother....

Can a group of senior amateur detectives solve the mystery and find their missing neighbor? Willow Wisteria disappeared, but not without a trace. Now it’s up to Madame Sleuth and the members of the Secret Senior Sleuths Society of Peacock Perch to find out what happened to her. They’ve set aside their bingo and bridge games and daily tennis and pickle ball matches to investigate “The Case of the Vanishing Vixen.” They’ll use all their cunning, life experience and the knowledge from their former occupations to follow the trail of gossip and social media posts about Willow to gather...

Twenty years ago, a woman with a secret vanished only to turn up murdered a year later on the same shoreline where she'd disappeared. And now it's happening again. Psychic Ryley St. James has found a killer's dumping ground. Six dead bodies took their secrets to a watery grave. And now Ryley's name has been added to the killer's hit list. She refuses to be number seven.

As a struggling young attorney fresh out of law school, Renny Jacobson was pining for the day he could afford the fast cars and sprawling homes of the partners in his Charlotte firm. And with news of his father's death and an ancient, secret inheritance, Renny's life was sure to change forever. But the inheritance and membership in the clandestine society which provided it soon threatens to change him in more ways than one.