Amateur Detective

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.

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.

Willa Noble knew it was bad luck when it was pouring rain on the day of her ever-important job interview at the Dickinson home in Amherst, Massachusetts. When she arrived late, disheveled with her skirts sodden and filthy, she'd lost all hope of being hired for the position. As the housekeeper politely told her they'd be in touch, Willa started toward the door of the stately home only to be called back by the soft but strong voice of Emily Dickinson. What begins as tenuous employment turns to friendship as the reclusive poet takes Willa under her wing.

Daphne Marriott strolls into Clover Ridge and informs librarian Carrie Singleton that she's a psychic. But if she had foreseen what fate awaited her, Daphne would have steered clear of the quaint Connecticut town. Evelyn, the library ghost, tells Carrie that there's more to Daphne than she lets on. The mysterious woman grew up in Clover Ridge with her no-good dad, who apparently met his end at the hands of Daphne's brother, Billy. Still, Daphne proves a welcome distraction when Carrie's overbearing mother hits town. Mom's much younger husband, Tom, is in a movie that's lensing locally.

***NOMINATED FOR AN EDGAR AWARD*** In the midst of substantial personal loss and scandal, six-foot-six Gunsten Søren Pedersen, the Detroit Tigers’ worshipped, veteran fence-swinger, walked away from his career and sport that he loved. Retiring to the tranquil solitude of Minnesota’s North Woods, disgraced, Gun left behind disappointed fans and searing press coverage. But a millionaire real estate investor is out to tear up Gun’s new turf. Loon Country Attractions, to be built on Gun’s piece of paradise, comes replete with an amusement park, convention center, and shopping super-...

When Ivy's perfectly planned dinner ends with murder, the curtains rise on a chilling Hollywood whodunit. Ivy, an event planner with a knack for the extraordinary, never expected her latest gig to spiral into chaos when Adam, a promising supporting actor, is found lifeless in a notorious hotel room. Whispers of vengeful spirits serve as both a chilling warning and thrilling distraction from the heart of the matter—two simmering suspects lie at the center of the storm: a resentful ex-road manager and Herold, the lead actor who pilfered Adam's coveted role. With the elusive scent of almond ...

When the life she thought she knew is suddenly taken away, Ella Hunt is determined to make a new life for herself and her faithful companion, Boris the Bulldog. She finds a new purpose in the form of a small, failed hotel in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. With her expertise in designing and upgrading hotel properties, Ella is determined to restore the hotel back to its former glory. But when she finds out the former hotel owner was found murdered in the hotel cellar, Ella teams up with the lead detective on the case, Luke Falconer, to uncover the truth and clear the hotel's name. If you enjoyed ...

Welcome to Quillhaven, where books whisper secrets, pastries hold enchantments, and a witch’s potions are anything but predictable. Annie Hart has her hands full running Spellbound Stories Bookshop and mentoring young witches in the magical town of Quillhaven. As a descendant of the legendary Elara Blackwood, she’s got a knack for brewing subtle potions and chatting with animals—especially her two mischievous, ageless Siamese cats, Leo and Luna. When her most promising young witch-in-training mysteriously vanishes into thin air, peace in Quillhaven takes a tumble. Meanwhile, Caleb ...

The death of a fiendish nobleman strikes close to home as Sebastian St. Cyr is tasked with finding the killer to save his young cousin from persecution.

Unlocking Secrets and Ancient Mysteries: When Eliza Bennett, a textile scientist fresh off a whirlwind European conference tour, lands on the sun-soaked shores of Santorini, she’s expecting a well-earned break. But when her charming, talking feline companion, Merlin, leads her to an old friend, Caleb, their holiday takes a thrilling turn. Caleb, driven by his grandfather’s lifelong quest, reveals a discovery that could change history: the keys to Atlantis II, hidden beneath the Aegean waves. Together, they embark on a quest to unlock its secrets before the malevolent Ambrosios and his ...

Turquoise water, rum punch, and fun in the sun. What better way to celebrate 35 years of marriage. Emily and Henry Fox go on an anniversary cruise to the Caribbean expecting nothing less, but when Henry’s old med school buddy turns up dead in his cabin, it’s anything but smooth sailing. The captain chalks it up to an unfortunate accident but Emily and Henry know better. The deadly tarantula didn’t crawl from the Puerto Rican rainforest to the ship on its own furry legs. With the help of a retired detective, they search for the killer. Why did the victim and his wife have separate ...

Maura Donovan discovers a body in the ravine behind her pub. And then the Irish gardai reveal that the victim's face has been battered beyond recognition. Who is the faceless victim? Who wanted him dead? And why was his body dumped in the backyard of Sullivan's Pub? Even after the dead man is finally given a name, nobody admits to knowing him. In the tight-knit world of Leap, no one is talking - and now, it's up to Maura to uncover the dark secrets that lurk beneath the seemingly quiet town.

An ancient ring stolen from a Holocaust victim. A stuffed raven that once belonged to Charles Dickens. An extra body in the New York City Morgue. Only one man could follow these clues to a solution: the legendary Jorge Luis Borges. "... highly recommended for classic detective story enthusiasts who look for complexity and intellectual challenges in their characters and stories." - Midwest Book Review Two years after their collaboration chronicled in The Philosophical Detective, Nick Martin again falls under the spell of the blind poet and fabulist who calls himself Jorge Luis Borges. ...

A clever innkeeper, a bookish best friend, and one very intuitive cat… what could go wrong? Amelia Farnsworth thought spring in Tumblebrook meant tea on the porch and quiet days at the inn. But when she uncovers a trail of long-buried secrets, she’s pulled into a mystery that spans decades—and could destroy the town she loves. With her sidekick Clara and her cat Lady Grey sniffing out clues, Amelia digs into the Fixer’s twisted web of lies, betrayals, and backroom deals. The truth is messier than she expected... and far more dangerous. But someone is watching. And in a town where ...

Oxford summer balls are one of the highlights of the calendar and tearoom sleuth Gemma Rose is looking forward to taking a break and slipping into something gorgeous for the evening. But when the night ends with a celebrity chef murdered by his own whisk, Gemma finds herself plunged into a new mystery - and the nosy Old Biddies keen to help with the investigation.

Eager to unravel her family's history, Becca Gold finds herself untangling a web of murder. Aunt Becca and her niece take a journey to Portugal on an exclusive tour in pursuit of ancestral insights. Amid mingling with fellow travelers, Becca’s inner warning system starts to flare. She senses an ominous undercurrent. She’s keenly observing everyone’s actions and yet a priceless relic goes missing and its owner, one of the tourmates, is found dead. Uncertainty looms: no one knows if it was a natural demise or a calculated murder. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Becca snoops ...

Can money buy you love? Aiden is about to find out. After years of not trusting a woman’s true intentions, Aiden has given up on them completely. He turns to Dream Droids, the premier company in creating an artificial companion, to build him the perfect woman. She’s smart—too smart. And tempting—too tempting. And Aiden can’t be tempted. An employee is stealing from his billion-dollar company, and the police feel his corporation is somehow behind a surge of a new drug on the street called Frenzy. When Aiden’s Dream Droid flaunts her intelligence and begins to connect the pieces, ...

A murder in Peacock Perch points suspicion to one of their own A murder case falls into the laps of the Secret Senior Sleuths Society leading the trail of clues to within the community for suspects, including one of its own. Madame Sleuth compiles an elite team from the senior detectives to follow the gossip and social media posts in the neighborhood to reveal potential clues, along with a combination of good old-fashioned sleuthing and technology-based investigation. With the high stakes of murder so close to their paradise home, can this group of senior citizens use their wits and ...

In the winter of 1937, the village of Okamura is abuzz with excitement over the forthcoming wedding of a son of the grand Ichiyanagi family. But amid the gossip over the approaching festivities, there is also a worrying rumour - it seems a sinister masked man has been asking questions about the Ichiyanagis around the village. Then, on the night of the wedding, the Ichiyanagi family are woken by a terrible scream, followed by the sound of eerie music - death has come to Okamura, leaving no trace but a bloody samurai sword, thrust into the pristine snow outside the house.

Secret Staircase Construction just finished their first project with Tempest Raj officially a part of the team—a classic mystery novel-themed home interior. Their client is now ready to celebrate her new life without her cheating ex-husband, famous mystery author Corbin Colt. First up, a party, and Tempest and Grandpa Ash are invited to the exclusive mock séance to remove any trace of Corbin from the property—for good. It's all lighthearted fun until Corbin's dead body crashes the party.