Amateur Detective

For Ellery Queen, there is no puzzle that reason cannot solve. In his time, he has faced down killers, thugs, and thieves, protected only by the might of his brain - and the odd bit of timely intervention by his father, a burly New York police inspector. But when a university professor asks Queen to teach a class, the detective finds there are people whom reason cannot touch: college students. Queen's adventure on campus is only the first of this incomparable collection of short mysteries.

Newlyweds Brooklyn and Derek are enjoying the final days of their honeymoon in Paris. As they're browsing the book stalls along the Seine, Brooklyn finds the perfect gift for Derek: a first edition James Bond novel, The Spy Who Loved Me. When they bump into Ned, an old friend from Derek’s spy days, Brooklyn shows him her latest treasure. Once they're back home in San Francisco, they visit a spy shop Ned mentioned. Soon after, Derek is dismayed when he receives a mysterious letter from Paris announcing Ned’s death. Then someone is killed inside the spy shop.

Small-town gossip, a hair salon owner, and a dead body. After notorious town rivals get into a fight, one of them winds up dead. It’s shear chaos at Ruby Tate’s hair salon once the sheriff arrests the prime suspect. Ruby agrees to help uncurl the mystery and save the reputation of her young receptionist’s mother. Luckily, her puzzle-solving skills are a cut above the rest. But can Ruby and her eccentric bestie piece together the clues before someone else ends up hurt? __________________________________________________________________________ This delightful cozy mystery is full of ...

When Newport's most sought after investment adviser meets her death while cruising on a sail boat surrounded by several of her biggest clients, amateur sleuth Caroline Kent finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation. Newport police detective Lt. Hank Nightingale is sure he knows who murdered Althea Tanner, but Caroline is certain that the police detective is mistaken. It is up to Caroline to solve the mystery. The story is one of greed and betrayal in the city best known for its gilt and glamour and offers a tale of financial intrigue straight from today's news headlines.

Earl wanted to stop the Halloween Hayride. Someone ran him over with it. Can the Hayride get back on track before Halloween is ruined? Tessa is back in her hometown, picking up the pieces of her life as a young widow. Besides passing the time by working at the B&B that her parents own, Tessa joined the Halloween Hayride Committee to help give back to her small town. Plans are going great but then Earl whisks into town, threatening to shut down the beloved Hayride and someone takes it upon themselves to run him down with the tractor. Now Tessa’s gotten herself tangled up in the mess, ...

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...

Jane Steward's resort is hopping - not only is Peppermint Press' conference in full swing, there are also lots of families staying on the premises, bringing their kids to events like a scavenger hunt through the Fairy Tale Forest. Then a woman dressed like Little Red Riding Hood is found dead from a plot device straight out of a fairy tale-with a rare and valuable copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales in her basket. Not long after, a second victim is killed, with yet another treasure - a volume by Hans Christian Andersen worth thousands of dollars - nearby.

Every secret has its keeper—and its price. Sarah’s quiet life in Serene Bay shatters when her best friend, Lena, vanishes after a desperate plea for help with a mysterious key tied to her family’s past. Still haunted by her father’s disappearance, Sarah risks reopening old wounds to find Lena—only to uncover secrets that could unravel the town’s dark history. "Atmospheric and gripping, a must-read for fans of small-town mysteries." But in Serene Bay, secrets are defended by more than silence. As trusted faces hide dangerous agendas, Sarah’s search plunges her into a web of ...

Vivienne Lane thought she left the drama behind when she traded big-city chaos for the quiet charm of Foxwick Harbor. Now, she spends her days running Lane & Co. Antiques, sipping lattes at Bean & Bloom, and avoiding her nosy neighbor’s unsolicited opinions. But when she stumbles upon the town’s most scandalous socialite dead in a wedding dress—and in a very inconvenient place—Vivi suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery far messier than her shop’s storage room. Gwendolyn Fairchild wasn’t just any bride-to-be; she was a journalist with a reputation for unearthing ...

Una desaparición arrastra a Sofía a un misterio que desafía toda lógica. Enfrentada a una disyuntiva que pondrá en juego su vida y la verdad, Sofía debe desentrañar secretos enterrados antes de que el pasado reclame más víctimas. *** Desaparición y dilema es una novela corta de suspenso, segundo libro de la serie Intrigas del pasado, sobre una mujer que trata de entender su pasado. Sin embargo, cuando las muertes se multiplican a su alrededor, debe comprender el presente, lo cual parece imposible en un barrio lleno de secretos. Una saga perfecta para fans de los detectives amateur...

On Christmas Eve, 85-year-old Miriam Caravasios steps onto the ice that surrounds her seaside estate on Maine's Mount Desert Island. As a younger woman, she used to steal out on winter nights to meet her lover, walking across the frozen reach to their secret meeting place. She knows the way—but not the year. Miriam, her mind clouded by dementia, doesn’t hear the snap of thin ice until it’s too late.

In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating New York like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. Grief, shock, and resentment scattered the group and brought the era to an abrupt end.

It's that time of year again! It's always Christmas in Holiday Haven, but this December is a special one. Carolyn Highcrest is preparing for her parents to visit for the inn's annual celebration . . . and to finally meet her boyfriend, Spencer. But when a mysterious package thief strikes the local postal service, Carol finds herself compelled to help Spencer find the culprit. Someone seems intent on ruining the holiday fun, with presents disappearing left and right and a spate of bad luck, which reminds Carol of the havoc the previous year wreaked by an out-of-control wishing box.

The ladies of the Mayfair Orchid and Exotic Plant Society are known for a bit of friendly rivalry, but the backstabbing has never been literal - until now. When Hiram Filmore, an orchid hunter and supplier, is found dead in Mrs. Helena Rayburn's conservatory, Inspector Witherspoon is called in to weed out a murderer. When it comes out that Mrs. Rayburn and her flowery friends knew each other from long ago, Mrs. Jeffries begins to suspect that there's more to unearth about this case than meets the eye.

When her friends from the Tuesday Night Club visit Miss Marple's house, the conversation often turns to unsolved crimes. Trying to solve these 13 mysteries are Raymond West, a young writer; the artist Joyce Lemprière; Dr Pender, the clergyman, who claims to know the hidden side of human character; Mr Petherick, a lawyer who is only interested in the logical approach; and Sir Henry Clithering, whose experience as commissioner of Scotland Yard speaks for itself.

Book #3 in the Jab Boone Murder Mystery Series A car-bombing, similar to the one that killed Tiffin Boone and friends four years ago, resurfaces in the Bay Area. It turns out that the actual bomb maker, known as The Caveman, has his sights on Jab Boone! Complicating matters is the murder of Under-Sheriff Sherry Davis and the lurid press fascination between Jab and The Caveman. Jab enlists sheriffs in three separate counties as well as the FBI to stop The Caveman from wreaking further havoc!

A Celebratory Luncheon Ends with a Deadly Shot… Event planner Ivy Schaeffer is no stranger to high-profile events, but when hired to plan a luncheon for Matthew Glover’s mayoral comeback, she expects political tension—not murder. Beneath the applause and polished speeches, discontent brews, culminating in a gunshot that silences Matthew for good. The detective insists Ivy stay out of it, but Matthew’s widow has other plans, enlisting Ivy to uncover the truth buried beneath political facades. With her sharp-witted partner Phyllis and their ever-observant feline sidekick, Fable, Ivy ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Great series of books! Martha and Helen are new friends who now work together in a business concerning old books and manuscripts. Each book has two stories going on, but both end up related. This series has so many different kinds of characters, locations, and conclusions. It is very creative set of stories! I'm sure that you will enjoy all five books. Happy Reading!!!" -- Margaret L. 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...

Read the entire series FREE on Kindle Unlimited. How far would you go for a friend? When photojournalist Kenzie Reese is in a car accident, she begs best friend Makenna Reagan to pose as her and cover her assignment for Now Magazine. Makenna is normally a by-the-list planner, but there’s no time to weigh her options. Kenzie is going in for surgery and the plane leaves in two hours. In a rare spontaneous decision, Makenna agrees. Borrowing her flamboyant friend’s life, if only for a few days, might even be fun. Doubts aside, Makenna is quickly enchanted by the beautiful White Mountains ...

Survival instincts are tested in the wild. When Maggie Shaw and her therapy dog Bentley attend a search and rescue event at Mount Rainier, they find themselves in a deadly conspiracy that could cost them everything. This thrilling adventure will keep your heart racing! Why You Need This Book: Join Maggie and Bentley as they navigate danger and deception in the great outdoors. If you love suspenseful mysteries with heartwarming canine companions, this book is a must-read!Key Features: 🐾 High-Stakes Thriller: A captivating plot with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the ...