Amateur Detective

Siblings Alex and Zoe Sherlock take their last name as inspiration when choosing a summer job. After all, starting a detective agency has to be better than babysitting (boring), lawn mowing (sweaty), or cleaning out the attic (boring and sweaty). Their friends Lina, an avid bookworm, and Yadi, an aspiring cinematographer, join the enterprise, and Alex and Zoe’s retired reporter grandfather offers up his sweet aquamarine Cadillac convertible and storage unit full of cold cases. The group’s first target is the long-lost treasure supposedly hidden near their hometown Miami.

“I’m sorry but the answer’s no.” Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he’s splitting and their deal is over. The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind. His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night. The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing.

Christmas at a snowed in country house. You know what happens next… Not necessarily. Agatha Aston is invited to spend the weekend before Christmas with some old friends. Accompanied by her Machiavellian Basset hound, Talleyrand, Agatha encounters murder, ghosts and romance at a country house where nothing is as it seems. While Agatha has her hands full solving a murder, Talleyrand has his own problems in the shape of Bismarck, the hosts’ unfriendly German Shepherd. Expect fireworks. Containing a short ghost story within a story, The Christmas Murder Mystery is a twisty box of delights, ...

A stolen secret, a strangled judge, and a flowering feud. When Lena Larsen agrees to host the New Oslo Tulip Festival at her grandmother's Victorian home, she expects prickly personalities and competitive gardeners. What she doesn't expect is murder. As tulip enthusiasts and judges gather to showcase their prized blooms, tensions quickly rise to the surface. Head judge Eleanor Summers seems to delight in antagonizing everyone with veiled threats about "revelations" she plans to share. But before she can expose anyone's secrets, Eleanor is found dead among the prize tulip beds. With a house ...

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.

"Suspenseful cold case investigation by a detective on maternity leave and her husband, helped by community members — and their adorable dogs." “Achieves the old-school psychological distance and neat plotting of Golden Age Detection.”Fifty years ago, nine people sat atop a disabled Ferris wheel while in the crowds below their dangling feet, an eleven-year-old girl disappeared. She remains missing. But the gears of justice never stop turning, and a lost piece of evidence has surfaced. There is still time for it to reach those with the dedication and intelligence needed to unlock a ...

When a blue ribbon leads to a murder charge, the real recipe for justice is a dash of sleuthing and a pinch of trouble... Hannah Foster is still basking in the glory of her big win at the 35th annual Shady Pines Bake-Off—until she stumbles into her bakery the following day and finds Martin Grayson, the competition’s judge, dead behind the counter. The unmistakable scent of almonds fills the air, and all signs point to Hannah as the prime suspect. Determined to clear her friend’s name, Maggie and Tessa, along with Maggie’s ever-curious beagle, Sherlock, dive headfirst into the ...

Jessie Circle has a new case, and she's dragging Flo Hammond along for the ride. A priceless coronet is missing from Trelawny house, home to a collection of exotic animals and even stranger house guests, and the clock is ticking. As the bodies pile up, Flo and Jessie attempt to unravel the mystery and avoid being eaten by a tiger called Duchess.

ABBA, Air Supply, Charlie’s Angels, Ronald Reagan—it’s 1981 and real estate attorney, Lynne Winters’, is struggling to manage a constantly complaining mother and a law practice tanking in the worst real estate market in a decade. Then her life really goes insane when a long brown envelope lands on her desk. The heir to the Mackland furniture empire has been kidnapped and the kidnapper has forced Lynne smack in the middle of the ransom negotiations. It’s the most important case of her career, but in a time when professional women too often aren’t taken seriously, it will take all...

Welcome to New Oslo, where the air is crisp, the tea is hot, and the mysteries are to die for! Lena Larsen didn’t expect to solve crimes when she moved back to her small hometown, but with the help of her witty, recently-deceased grandmother’s ghost, she’s unraveling the town’s secrets one case at a time. This collection of three delightfully quirky novellas serves up plenty of paranormal puzzles, hometown hijinks, and a side of supernatural sleuthing. In Granny's Ghost and the Haunted Homicide, Lena tackles her grandmother’s murder, and it’s as chilling as the old Victorian ...

It’s springtime in Provence! Trees are in bloom and critters are abuzz— including a murderer or two. Pastry chef Julie Cavallo is gearing up for the Easter weekend. Life is blissfully tranquil… until she learns of a wrongful conviction. Chiropractor Quentin Vernet was found guilty of fatal malpractice, stripped of his license and imprisoned for a year. And now he has lost all hope of clearing his good name. If only there was a way to help him! Unfortunately, Julie has nothing to go on. Her crew of amateur sleuths deems the case too cold and too sticky. Her gendarme boyfriend warns her...

When the lights go out, more than just the movie ends. Lena Thompson's quiet life in the charming town of New Oslo is about to get a supernatural shake-up. With her spectral grandmother as an unlikely sidekick, Lena finds herself thrust into the role of amateur sleuth when a glitzy movie premiere party turns deadly. As a former classmate-turned-Hollywood-star lies dead in Lena's Victorian home, the list of suspects grows longer than the credits of a summer blockbuster. With the local sheriff overwhelmed, it's up to Lena and her ghostly Granny to sift through a cast of colorful characters, ...

Discovering a body in my floral storage area was the last thing I expected. Sending flowers to funerals is one thing. But, encountering the deceased in person is quite another. My name is Grace Thompson and I own “Petals & Paws” in the small town of Bloomsville. Fate seems to have a peculiar sense of humor. Fortunately, my friend Chloe Sutton arrives, craving a vacation. Instead, she finds my chaos.Rosie won't stop barking. Wait, did she find a clue? Good girl! My curiosity pulls me deeper into danger, maybe I can blossom into an amateur detective. Chloe’s forensic skills uncover ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Kept me turning the pages from page one!” Jonna M. A DELIGHTFUL COZY MYSTERY FULL OF QUAINT VILLAGES, QUIRKY CHARACTERS, AND MADCAP ADVENTURES BY A BESTSELLING AUTHOR. Helen Ryes and Martha Littleword, two Americans living in England, become fast friends and amateur sleuths when a murder lands them in hot water. Killers unfortunately rarely stop at just one murder and the tome-filled libraries, ivy-covered manor homes, and lush countryside of England can be decidedly deadly! It’s a beautiful summer and the busy village of Marsden-Lacey, England, has murder on its mind...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Just delightful read, funny, witty, very British with good twists. It is reminiscent of other writers in the same vein, but I couldn't put the book down. I had to read the entire series in a few days. Just fun and can't wait for the next installments!" Sylvie J. M., amazon.com A DELIGHTFUL COZY MYSTERY FULL OF QUAINT VILLAGES, QUIRKY CHARACTERS, AND MADCAP ADVENTURES BY A BESTSELLING AUTHOR. Helen Ryes and Martha Littleword, two Americans living in England, become fast friends and amateur sleuths when a murder lands them in hot water. Killers unfortunately rarely stop at ...

Newport Innkeeper Caroline Kent and Police Detective Hank Nightingale are back in the middle of murder when Caroline's friend, Broadway actress Meredith Hackett, appears unexpectedly at the Inn at Kenwood Court. When she is found dead shortly after arriving, it's up to Caroline and Hank to solve the case.

In the quiet town of Cedarwick, the Midnight Rose isn’t just candy— it’s magic that transforms lives with a single bite. Eliza Sweet, its gifted creator, thought she controlled its power. But when strange changes ripple through the town, she realizes something—or someone—is twisting the magic. With her sharp-eyed cat, Sir Whiskers, by her side, Eliza races to uncover a mystery buried beneath sugar and secrets. Because in Cedarwick, even the sweetest magic can turn deadly. The Midnight Rose Mysteries A cozy tale of enchantment, danger, and the price of one powerful recipe.

November 1911. Lady Emily Hardcastle is celebrating her birthday by seeing a play at the Duke’s Theatre in Bristol with her maid and confidante, the inimitable Flo. Act One is a triumph. Then Act Two opens with a body on stage—a real one. One of the cast has been brutally murdered during the interval. When other matters get in the way of Inspector Sunderland overseeing the case himself, he asks the ever-resourceful Lady H to keep a watchful eye on the suspects—and his police colleagues.

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 ...

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs are on the warpath in the village of Balfour, and the local shop owners fear that their financial sins are about to catch up with them. Meanwhile, Abbey Glen’s new Whisky Masterclass is a resounding success...until the latest group of students starts to drop dead in the night and Abi Logan fears that what they are really offering is a Masterclass in Murder. Missing money, dead bodies, and a whistle blower who may not be as virtuous as he appears leave Abi scrambling for clues in the dark. Will Abi find the killer before the inevitable happens?