Southern Family Mystery

Filmmaker Tessa Shepherd helped free a man she believed was wrongly imprisoned for murder. When he kills again, Tessa’s life is upended. She’s reeling with guilt, her reputation destroyed. Worse, Tessa’s mother has unexpectedly passed away, and her sister, Margot, turns on her after tensions from their past escalate. Hounded by a bullying press, Tessa needs an escape. That’s when she learns of a strange inheritance bequeathed by her mother: a derelict and isolated estate known as Fallbrook. It seems like the perfect refuge.

Culpable in an exposé gone tragically wrong, investigative journalist Jupiter Bellarose takes her boss’s advice: head back to her hometown for a fluff piece and get her world in balance. But in Savannah, the past is waiting. Twenty years ago Jupiter’s mother, actress and celebrated beauty Marie Nova, was murdered, leaving many in her wake: Jupiter’s father, who has erased memories of his wife’s murder with alcohol. The matriarch of the cosmetics company who helped make Marie a star—and who takes every opportunity to reopen old wounds.

Some scars don’t heal. Some stories don’t end. And some secrets—when dug up—don’t stay buried. Houston, 1978. Four brothers break open a rusted lockbox in the sweltering bayou and find a hand-drawn map, a brass key, and a warning in a vanished boy’s shaky script: “If you’re reading this, it’s already too late.” What begins as a dare drags them through flooded ghost towns, haunted cellar doors, and tunnels that breathe with memory and rot. The deeper they follow the trail of a long-lost journal, the louder the bayou whispers—of guilt, of silence, and of something older ...

From the author of the bestselling Pelican Cove series - Meet Meera Patel - college dropout and reluctant amateur sleuth The women's club elections are coming up and Meera’s grandma is competing against Dot Brown, the local school teacher. Then Dot is found dead at the annual club meeting, clutching a dumpling Meera cooked. The Patel women instantly become top suspects. Forced to go sleuthing again, Meera uncovers a malicious crime that has affected most people in Swan Creek. Dot is at the centre of it all and everyone and their mother wanted to kill her. As the situation in town worsens,...

316 pages print edition, 98,142 words, Contemporary southern fiction, suspense, drama, romance. Appalachian Culture Heritage From Chapter 1: A cold sweat gathered on Catalena’s skin as she gripped the steering wheel. She didn’t want to move a muscle, was afraid to draw a breath. She was scared out of her mind. Her overwhelming fear of heights had her feeling paralyzed. A sheer rock wall towered on the left side of the vehicle with a cliff of dizzying proportions dropping straight down on the right side. It reminded her of the Road of Death in North Yungas, Bolivia where hundreds of ...

When Pegasus Quincy, sheriff’s deputy, steps into the leaky rowboat to investigate a murder at a mysterious artists’ colony, her troubles have just begun. A new detective blames Peg when she gets snake bit. A friend gets caught in a drug raid and asks Peg’s assistance. Her new roomie monopolizes the kitchen, until Peg’s coonhound Reckless eats too many French macarons. And then there is the cat lady who accuses Peg of stealing a valuable painting. Surely Peg wouldn’t do that, would she? Join Pegasus Quincy as she delves into the nefarious underworld of art auctions, mid-century ...

When the CIA calls on former Army Ranger Pierce Hunt to find a missing operative and friend, the last thing he wants to do is leave the peace of home and family behind. But there’s more to this mission than meets the eye, and Hunt knows he has no choice but to risk everything to save his friend and protect his country. Hunt’s target is Jorge Ramirez, who allegedly has information that poses a threat to the national security of the United States. As Hunt tracks Ramirez in Switzerland, he learns that someone close to his operation has betrayed the CIA.

On the banks of the North Santee River stands a moss-draped oak that was once entrusted with the dreams of three young girls. Into the tree's trunk they placed their greatest hopes, written on ribbons, for safekeeping - including the most important one: friends forever, come what may. But life can waylay the best of intentions....

Barbara G. Tucker is the author of six novels: A Family’s Journey Trilogy: Traveling Through, Cross Road, and Legacy, published by OakTara Press The Unexpected Christmas Visitors, Bringing Abundance Back, and now, Long Lost Family, the first in the series of mysteries "Long Lost Stories" Bringing Abundance Back She has also published Leading in a Strange Land: Studies in Daniel and Leadership. She is the co-author of Exploring Public Speaking, a Creative Commons licensed textbook, and editor of an academic journal. Barbara lives in a community in Northwest Georgia outside of Chattanooga, ...

The sheriff's deputy at the front door brings hard news to Ree Dolly. Her father has skipped bail on charges that he ran a crystal meth lab, and the Dollys will lose their house if he doesn't show up for his next court date. Ree's father has disappeared before. The Dolly clan has worked the shadowy side of the law for generations, and arrests (and attempts to avoid them) are part of life in Rathlin Valley.

She’s settling into a new life. But when a fishing trip totally capsizes, can she get a friend off the hook for murder? Elizabeth Trout still feels awkward living back home. Discovering a BFF from her raucous high-school days has become the perfect mom is as weird as staying with her mother while awaiting construction of her new home. But she’s shaken to her core when her newlywed husband and beloved dog are nearly blown out of the water in a dockside explosion which leaves another woman dead … and her bestie is arrested for the crime. To clear her friend, Elizabeth and her spouse set...

From the author of the bestselling Pelican Cove series - Meet Meera Patel - college dropout and seasoned amateur sleuth Charlie Gibson is not the warm and fuzzy type. So the town of Swan Creek is surprised when he takes in a homeless boy. Then Charlie is found dead. No good deed goes unpunished, right? The Patel family sets off on Route 66 for an epic trip to the coast. But Meera can't join in the fun when an innocent youngster is accused of murder. Travel the I-40 with the Patels, with roadside diners and chili burgers, bhel poori and fajitas! There is a long distance murder mystery to be ...

For twelve-year-old Martha "Sonny" Creech, there is no place more beautiful than her family's cotton farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work hard on their land - hoeing, planting, picking - but only Sonny loves the rich, dark earth the way her father does. When a tragic accident claims his life, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin - until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year's cotton crop.

The spring of 1998, Karlee Baxter Wilcox came back to her hometown, Monroe, North Carolina, to bury her mama. She soon discovered her mama had been hiding secrets from her since she was a small child. These secrets start to unfold when she opens a box hidden in the back of a closet. Opening this box will create an entirely different world that Karlee never dreamed was waiting for her. Will Karlee have the strength and courage to face the secrets, or will she close the box keeping everyone from knowing the truth? If you like funny, heartwarming Southern stories with a touch of mystery, you ...

When Miss Julia burst on the scene in her debut, Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind, this proper lady of a certain age found her orderly world turned upside down when Hazel Marie Puckett appeared with her nine-year-old son, Little Lloyd, who looked disturbingly similar to Miss Julia's late husband. Now, in Miss Julia Takes Over, with her sharp tongue and iron backbone intact, Miss Julia must tackle another disruption when Hazel Marie doesn't return from a dinner date. Miss Julia hires J. D. Pickens to investigate, despite her reservations about his taste for beer and women.

Chad Butner and his parents moved from the city and made their new home in the mountains of North Carolina. They now lived in a little valley called Deep Gap. Chad had to keep the reason of their move a secret from everyone in the valley. He soon discovered he was not the only one hiding secrets. This included a young mountain girl that quickly won his heart. Why did the Ghost of Deep Gap walk the mountains in the dark of night? Why did the people of Deep Gap whisper of a crazy woman that placed her dead baby in a moonshine jar? Was the baby the Ghost of Deep Gap that roamed the hills ...

Death by devil's food—but was it really the cake? Savannah Stanton thought she was finally settling into small-town life in Spring Grove. But when a prestigious judge drops dead during the town's annual Dessert Festival—right after sampling Holly's signature devil's food cake—Savannah finds herself kneading through far more than just dough. With the bakery's reputation at stake and whispers of sabotage rising like badly proofed bread, Savannah must sift through a cast of colorful suspects: a fiercely competitive rival baker, a resentful estranged brother, and a host of other townsfolk...

They say chocolate is irresistible... this time it's deadly. When Savannah Stanton arrives in Spring Grove to help her cousin Holly run the family bakery, she's looking for a fresh start, not a fresh crime scene. But after a prominent charity board member drops dead at a gala event—right after eating one of Holly's cupcakes—both the bakery's reputation and Holly's freedom are at risk. As suspicions swirl around Sweet Springs Bakery, Savannah finds herself drawn into a web of small-town secrets, suspicious financial dealings, and long-buried scandals. With help from the handsome but ...

Dubious diamond devotees and a dead loan shark. With the dad she thought dead suspected of murder, can she keep him from doing hard time? Elizabeth Trout thinks she must have rocks in her head. After receiving a crazy call that the father she never knew is cooling his heels in the local jail, the newlywed graphic designer posts bail and invites him home. But the family reunion loses its luster when she learns her old man is under suspicion for murder after he was found near a corpse. With the sheriff zeroing in on her dad and no other suspects on ice, Elizabeth starts her own investigation ...

While Laurel Gray Hawthorne's life seems neatly on track - a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a lovely home in suburban Victorianna - everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 13-year old neighbor, Molly Dufresne.