- Table View
- List View
Cat in a Crimson Haze: A Midnight Louie Mystery
by Carole Nelson DouglasMidnight Louie, the best tomcat in the crime-solving business, and his human partner, petite redheaded publicist Temple Barr, are once again in the thick of things in the city of sin. The manager of the Crystal Phoenix, one of Las Vegas's premier vacation spot, has hired Temple Barr to help clean up the hotel's image, but soon more than the Phoenix's reputation is in danger. The phoenix becomes prey to mysterious saboteurs whose little pranks just happen to keep endangering Temple's life. When Temple tangles with ex-priests, local police, FBI agents, obnoxious reporters, and a passel of semi-reformed mafiosi who wear pastel zoot suits, it's up to Midnight Louie to get her out of knot....before it's too late. Copyright © Libri GmbH. All rights reserved.
Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasAce freelance PR woman and amateur detective Temple Barr is 30-going-on-19 when she agrees to do homicide lieutenant Carmen Molina a big favor and go undercover as a contestant at Teen Idol, a TV reality show. The lieutenant is worried because someone is threatening the contestants--including her own 13 year old daughter--by leaving mutilated Barbie dolls all over Las Vegas.Reliving the years of melodrama and teen angst while acting as a nanny-cum-diversion is bad enough, but Temple is dismayed to discover her professional nemesis is in charge of PR for Teen Idol-and, even worse, her romance novelist aunt has flown in from New York to be a judge. Can redheaded Temple fool her nearest and least dearest with a black dye job to complement her new punk persona, Xoë Chloë Ozone?Temple is on her own among 28 unnatural blonds, who all say they'd kill to make the final cut and be named Teen Idol Queen... and one of them might actually do it. Usually Temple has an ace or two up her sleeve, but Max Kinsella, Temple's ex-magician boyfriend, is AWOL plotting to infiltrate a sinister cabal of terrorist magicians, and neighbor-slash-sometime love interest Matt Devine is in Chicago, tracking down his shocking family roots.Luckily, there's one one alpha male Temple can always lean on: Midnight Louie, her black alley-cat roommate. Louie is already on the case, ensuring that all the "little dolls" under his care debut on national TV as more than lovely corpses.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in a Midnight Choir: A Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasIn Cat in a Midnight Choir, the fourteenth Midnight Louie Mystery, both feline and human evil-doers and crime-solvers work overtime to make Las Vegas the Capital of Noir Suspense. This time our feisty black cat detective is hunting a mysterious and possibly murderous organization of renegade magicians called the Synth, which has been making Las Vegas too hot to hold for some of Louie's human friends, particularly ex-magician Max Kinsella. Louie's on the case . . . but the trick may be on him this time. And just to make things interesting, while Louie and his furred cohorts battle black magic, both human and not-so-human, Louie's cherished roommate, plucky PR freelancer Temple Barr, is investigating the murderous side of the Synth despite the intense discouragement of female homicide lieutenant C. R. Molina. Molina herself is secretly moonlighting as an undercover operative to nail the killer of a sad, young stripper, and the search has boiled down to two suspects: Temple's current significant other, Max Kinsella, and Molina's long-gone ex-lover, Raf Nadir. Unfortunately, proving either man guilty will seriously impact the lives of Molina and her daughter, Mariah. As Louie and his human friends sink deeper into a lose-lose situation of crime and punishment, there doesn't seem to be any way out of this escalating crisis, except another murder.Can Louie solve some nagging past mysteries, find out just what some mad magicians have in store and stop the stripper killer before he claims another victim? And what will Louie do if he finds that the killer is someone Louie knows . . . and likes?At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in a Neon Nightmare (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasCat in a Neon Nightmare is the fifteenth Midnight Louie mystery, and this tough-talking tomcat is as feisty as ever, raising hell (sometimes literally) in Las Vegas, America's Sin Capital.The lavish hotels and the sham of wholesome fun may soothe the tourists, but sex and greed still fuel this town, and bad guys still abound. And Midnight Louie, the feline Sam Spade has his paws full keeping those he loves safe.This time Midnight Louie treads the lurid side of mystery's mean streets when a call girl named Vassar is found lying dead on the neon ceiling above a Las Vegas casino. Suicide or homicide? If straight-arrow radio shrink Matt Devine, the man most likely to have been Vassar's unlikely last client, is charged for Vassar's murder, everyone Louie knows is an accessory to the crime . . . except for his ever-loving roommate, PR whiz Temple Barr, who has been kept in the dark by both friends and enemies. To save Matt's future, Temple will have to crack the cover-up with the unsuspected help of Midnight Inc. Investigations, now including a junior partner: Louie's maybe-daughter, Midnight Louise. Meanwhile, a hot new club in town, Neon Nightmare, has links to the mysterious Synth, a sinister association of magicians that may lie behind the string of unsolved deaths that have haunted Louie Company for months.And with the psychotic stalker, Kitty the Cutter, still prowling, death is definitely in the cards for someone Temple knows very well, and not even Louie may be able to stop it.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in a Quicksilver Caper: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasMidnight Louie, alley-cat extraordinaire and Las Vegas's hairiest, hard-boiled PI, finds himself literally walking a tightrope when a fabulous museum opening at one of Sin City's swankiest casinos is marred by a little thing like death. Louie's loyal roommate, feisty PR freelancer Temple Barr, has snagged the commission of her career: repping the opening exhibition of the Russian Czars' priceless treasures at the New Millennium Hotel, the apex of which is the Czar Alexander Scepter, a priceless jewel-encrusted artifact. Trouble is, the hotel has booked an aerial magic act right above the exhibition. Temple works at a breakneck pace to coordinate this logistical nightmare. Tragedy ensues when a performer dies right above where the collection will be displayed and the police threaten to shut everything down. But the word "no" isn't one heard often in Las Vegas when money is involved and the show (or shows) must go on. Just as things seem to be working perfectly, another performer dies…and the scepter vanishes. The culprits could be international art thieves, Russian mafioso, or Chechen rebels out to embarrass the current Russian government. Or it could be someone else, perhaps someone Temple knows all too well . . . .Temple and Louie both have enemies in the magic act--evil magician Shangri-La and her curare-nailed performing Siamese cat, Hyacinth--and on the ground--ever-suspicious homicide lieutenant Carmen Molina, who's itching to pin the heist and murders on Temple's significant other, ex-magician and sometimes ex-spy Max Kinsella, now oddly AWOL. Worse, as Temple and Louie's separate investigations bring them both close to the truth, it's clear that someone has decided to hang them out to die too. Can fancy footwork and detection save our intrepid duo? Find out in Carole Nelson Douglas's Cat in a Quicksilver Caper.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in a Topaz Tango: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries #21)
by Carole Nelson DouglasTemple Barr and Matt Devine make a cozy engaged couple, and the feisty redhead is all for her handsome radio host fiance staring in a week-long televised Las Vegas charity event, "Dancing with the Celebs." But while ex-priest Matt struggles to master the sexy moves of the tango, a killer stalks the dance floor. Not only is Matt in danger, but so is the lovely tween Mariah, daughter of homicide cop C. R. Molina, who is dancing in the Junior Division of the show. And so Temple gets dragooned into resurrecting her kicky teen persona, Zoe Chloe Ozone, now an Internet hottie, to ensure Matt and Mariah don't foxtrot into a fatal misstep. Where is Louie in all this? Well, he's out and about, proving that he's still the cat's meow. But he's got his paws full as he tries to keep all the various players in his little troupe from dancing right into death's arms....in Cat in a Topaz Tango, the twenty-first installment in Carole Nelson Douglas's beloved Midnight Louie Mysteries.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in an Orange Twist (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasTemple Barr is a sharp and sassy public relations ace in Las Vegas whose life is finally taking a turn for the better. Hard-nosed homicide lieutenant Carmen Molina is too busy chasing after her own ex-lover, rogue L.A. cop Rafi Nadir, to pursue Temple's boyfriend, sexy magician Max Kinsella, and nobody Temple knows has been murdered... at least, not in the past few weeks.Temple takes this downtime as a signal she should buy a new pair of Jimmy Choo spike heels, and accept the job of planning a glitzy week of opening events for a trendy new furniture showroom. Dealing with temperamental décor mavens is no problem for a woman who's saved leopards from big game hunters, tracked killers through strip clubs, calmed the cantankerous owners of Las Vegas's most glamorous hotel, and seen the ghost of Elvis-until the life of feng shui expert and media-crowned domestic dominatrix Amelia Wong is threatened. Suddenly Temple is neck deep in trouble... and bodies.And Temple has one more problem-one she doesn't even know about: her roommate Louie, and his maybe-daughter Louise, have decided to make sure that Temple's search for a killer furniture arrangement doesn't mean curtains for her. Midnight Inc. Investigations, their PI firm, is on the case. The catch?Louie is Temple's cat.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme
by Carole Nelson DouglasTemple Barr, publicist extraordinaire, is itching to bring off her most dangerous and exciting assignment, helping to launch an endeavor that many a Vegas showmen have dreamed of: a Las Vegas mob museum/casino. While city powers-that-be hem and haw over doing an official project on the subject, the Family Fontana plans to connect two hotels with a "Chunnel of Crime" featuring an underground speakeasy, a fast "ride" through Vegas crime history by Gangsters custom limo service, and other fun attractions. Temple's grand scheme to do a live "opening Bugsy Siegel's vault" media event built around a huge safe found buried underground produces a two-day-old body wearing white tie and tails. With Temple's magician-counterterrorist ex-lover, Max, gone missing and her new fiancé, radio shrink Matt Devine, in Chicago for week-long media gig, Temple must depend on "the Vegas Strip Irregulars," a posse of cats, to solve murders old and new that smack of mobs vintage and all too contemporary. Success, or failure, could cost Temple her life, and all nine of Louie's.
Cat in an Ultramarine Scheme: A Midnight Louie Mystery (Midnight Louie Mysteries)
by Carole Nelson DouglasTemple Barr, publicist extraordinaire, is itching to bring off her most dangerous and exciting assignment, helping to launch an endeavor that many a Vegas showmen have dreamed of: a Las Vegas mob museum/casino. While city powers-that-be hem and haw over doing an official project on the subject, the Family Fontana plans to connect two hotels with a "Chunnel of Crime" featuring an underground speakeasy, a fast "ride" through Vegas crime history by Gangsters custom limo sevice, and other fun attractions. Temple's grand scheme to do a live "opening Bugsy Siegel's vault" media event built around a huge safe found buried underground produces a two-day-old body wearing white tie and tails. With Temple's magician-counterterrorist ex-lover, Max, gone missing and her new fiance, radio shrink Matt Devine, in Chicago for week-long media gig, Temple must depend on "the Vegas Strip Irregulars," a posse of cats, to solve murders old and new that smack of mobs vintage and all too contemporary. Success, or failure, could cost Temple her life, and all nine of Louie's. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Cat in the Limelight (The 9 Lives Cozy Mystery Series #6)
by Louise ClarkFormer Movie Producer Murdered at Charity Gala in Cat in the Limelight, a 9 Lives Cozy Mystery from Louise Clark--Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada—Christy Jameison's reputation is at stake when the Dean of a local college is murdered at a fundraising gala she is attending, along with the wealthiest and most influential people from the community.The press has a field day when it's discovered the Dean was formerly a renowend television and movie producer. As reporters speculate over who and why the Dean was killed, they delve into past histories—including Christy's.With her reputation on the line, the investigation becomes personal as Christy investigates the Dean's past and discovers more questions and an even longer list of suspects. While Christy is willing to do whatever it takes to solve the crime, it's the cat in the limelight who possesses the clue.Publisher Note: The 9 Lives Cozy Mysteries, while containing some very mild profanity, will be enjoyed by readers of clean and wholesome cozy mysteries. Cat lovers and those fond of all things feline, as well as readers of Amanda Lee, Denise Grover Swank, Rita Mae Brown's Sneaky Pie Brown Mysteries, and Shirley Rousseau Murphy's Joe Grey Mysteries will not want to miss this series.The 9 Lives Cozy MysteriesThe Cat Came BackThe Cat's PawCat Got Your TongueLet Sleeping Cats LieCat Among the FishesCat in the LimelightFleece the CatAbout The Author: Louise Clark has been the adopted mom of several cats with big personalities. The feline who inspired Stormy, the cat in the 9 Lives books, dominated her household for twenty loving years. During that time, he created a family pecking order that left Louise on top and her youngest child on the bottom (just below the guinea pig), regularly tried to eat all his sister’s food (he was a very large cat), and learned the joys of travel through a cross-continent road trip.The 9 Lives Cozy Mystery Series—as well as the single title mystery, A Recipe For Trouble, are all set in her hometown of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Cat of Many Tails
by Ellery QueenThe famous sleuth comes out of retirement to help his father hunt down a New York City serial killer: &“Marvelous . . . one of his best&” (Classic Mysteries). In the dog days of August, it is no surprise to see New Yorkers perspire. But this summer, a killer called the Cat gives the city a new reason to sweat. He selects his victims seemingly at random and strangles them, then escapes without leaving a clue. As the death toll climbs, and the press whips the public into horrified frenzy, Gotham teeters on the edge of anarchy. Ellery Queen, the brilliant amateur sleuth, has gone into retirement when the Cat begins to kill. As his father, a seasoned homicide detective, leads the investigation into the murder, Ellery tries to avoid getting involved. But as the body count rises, he can no longer resist the urge to hunt. The Queens are known for their curiosity—and everyone knows how curiosity can affect a cat.
Cat of the Century (Mrs. Murphy Mystery #18)
by Rita Mae Brown Sneaky Pie BrownBrown and her feline partner are back with this new mystery starring Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, the sleuthing cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and corgi Tee Tucker. This time they must catch a killer determined to turn a birthday party into a funeral.
Cat on a Blue Monday
by Carole Nelson DouglasCarole Nelson Douglas, award-winning author of the acclaimed Good Night, Mr. Holmes, captivated a host of new readers with Catnap, the first novel in an irresistible new mystery series featuring Midnight Louie -- a jet-black tomcat with an appetite for mystery and an attitude right out of Damon Runyon -- and his red-haired human companion Temple Barr, a publicist in the glittering Las Vegas media scene. Pussyfoot, the sequel to Catnap, was an even bigger success, and mystery fans have been eagerly awaiting the next volume in the series. Cat on a Blue Monday is well worth the wait. Someone is stalking prize-winning purebreds at the annual Las Vegas Cat Show, and Midnight Louie is off on the prowl again. As Louie, aided by a telepathic Birman cat named Karma, follows the scent of the killer, Temple is delving into the past of Matt Devine, the handsome young hotline counselor who's captured her heart. Soon Louie and Temple find themselves up to their tails in blackmail, extortion, and cold-blooded murder. Fans of foul play, feisty female detectives, and feline forensics are sure to find Cat on a Blue Monday just their saucer of milk.
Cat on a Cold Tin Roof
by Mike ResnickHard-luck gumshoe Eli Paxton is hired to find a missing cat--a very important cat, it turns out, because its collar is studded with diamonds worth a small fortune. What starts as a routine search of animal shelters soon becomes a perilous journey through a murky underworld. The woman who hired Paxton is the wealthy widow of a recently murdered financial adviser with an alias and mobster ties.Eli finds the cat, but not the collar. Eventually, he's forced to unravel an intricate plot involving a Bolivian drug cartel. On top of all this, the temperamental widow is more likely to throw things at Eli than pay him for his services. As he turns up one clue after another, leading him ever deeper into a treacherous maze, Eli hopes, first, to survive, and then to make enough money to afford a new transmission for his broken-down car.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Cat on the Edge: A Joe Grey Mystery (Joe Grey Mystery Series #1)
by Shirley Rousseau MurphyIt's been quite a week for Joe Grey. First the large, powerful feline discovers that, through some strange, inexplicable phenomenon, he now has the ability to understand human language. Then he discovers he can speak it as well! It's a nightmare for a cat who'd prefer to sleep the day away carefree, but Joe can handle it. That is, until he has the misfortune to witness a murder in the alley behind Jolly's Deli -- and worse, to be seen witnessing it. With all of his nine lives suddenly at risk, Joe's got no choice but to get to the bottom of the heinous crime -- because his mouse-hunting days are over for good unless he can help bring a killer to justice.
Cat on the Scent: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery (Mrs. Murphy Mystery #7)
by Rita Mae Brown Sneaky Pie BrownIt takes a cat to write the purr-fect mystery. Things have been pretty exciting lately in Crozet, Virginia--a little too exciting if you ask resident feline investigator Mrs. Murphy. Just as the town starts to buzz over its Civil War reenactment, a popular local man disappears. No one's seen Tommy Van Allen's single-engine plane, either--except for Mrs. Murphy, who spotted it during a foggy evening's mousing. Even Mrs. Murphy's favorite human, postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, can sense that something is amiss. But things really take an ugly turn when the town reenacts the battle of Oak Ridge--and a participant ends up with three very real bullets in his back. While the clever tiger cat and her friends sift through clues that just don't fit together, more than a few locals fear that the scandal will force well-hidden town secrets into the harsh light of day. And when Mrs. Murphy's relentless tracking places loved ones in danger, it takes more than a canny kitty and her team of animal sleuths to set things right again. . . .
Cat to the Dogs
by Shirley Rousseau MurphyA recent earthquake was only the beginning of the big trouble that plagues Molena Point, California. Joe Grey may be merely a cat, but he's already solved more murders than your average human detective, and he knows the "accident" on Hellhag Hill was anything but. Unfortunately Joe's somewhat erratic, if lovable, owner Clyde thinks cats should keep their paws out of police work, and locks Joe and his feline lady friend Dulcie out of the house when Officer Max Harper pays a social call. But Joe can be a very stubborn tomcat when he sets his mind to it. And he's not about to give up the hunt. A killer needs to be apprehended, and Joe Grey's just the cat for the job -- especially since the humans who should be on the case don't seem to have a clue.
Cat with an Emerald Eye (A Midnight Louie Mystery)
by Carole Nelson DouglasCarole Nelson Douglas's beloved sleuth is back in this sixth volume of the acclaimed Midnight Louie series. Our furry feline friend has dipped his paws into the muddy waters of murder once again--only this time, nothing is as it seems. Temple Barr, a redheaded public relations expert and Louie's human partner in detection, won't be trick-or-treating this Halloween Eve in Las Vegas: Her landlady, the eccentric Electra, is dragging her along to a séance intended to resurrect the spirit of Harry Houdini. Midnight Louie scoffs, as any sensible cat would do, but when the séance ends abruptly with the murder of a famous psychic, his well-trained nose smells something fishy, and it's not his dinner. When Temple discovers that the dead man was a debunker of false psychic phenomena, making any other supposed psychic in the room a prime suspect, she knows there's more to this case than meets the eye. Enter Mystifying Max the Magician, Temple's ex-lover and the victim's ex-student, who obviously knows more than he's telling about the murder. When Max gets in Temple's way, tampering with her emotions as well as with her crime scene, Louie realizes it's up to him to get to the bottom of this--before they find themselves at the bottom of a grave.
Cat's Claw (China Bayles #20)
by Susan Wittig AlbertAs the first female police chief in Pecan Springs, Texas, Sheila Dawson has cracked many a mystery in collaboration with local sleuth China Bayles. Now Sheila puts her smarts to work, sifting through secrets to find a killer on the prowl... <P> Larry Kirk, Pecan Springs' computer guru, has been shot dead in his kitchen. At first Sheila believes it to be suicide, but further investigation reveals that Kirk's death wasn't self-inflicted. And the truth is reinforced by her friend China Bayles' news--Larry recently asked her for legal advice in regards to a stalker. <P> As a police chief in a male-dominated force, Sheila meets many challenges, especially when her theories rock the boat in high-profile cases like that of George Timms, who was caught breaking into Larry's shop. Now that Larry is dead, Sheila is sure the burglary is connected to the murder. But when Timms disappears instead of turning himself in, Sheila must prove she's got what it takes to hunt down a predator who's loose on the streets of Pecan Springs...
Cat's Claw (The Rachel Murdock Mysteries)
by Dolores HitchensThe third mystery in the series featuring the Murdock sisters and their pet cat is &“a remarkably fresh entry in the cozy-adventure genre&” (Kirkus Reviews). Introduction by Agatha Award–winning author Katherine Page Hall Outside the window of elderly sisters Rachel and Jennifer Murdock&’s Los Angeles home, a suspicious bandy-legged man is spying on a house across the street—prompting the siblings to spy on him. They never expected to see the man struck by a car, whose driver stuffs his body inside the vehicle and races away. Assisting LAPD Lieutenant Stephen Mayhew in the investigation, Rachel and Jennifer help search the apartment the bowlegged man was so interested in and find the tenants gone. They also uncover clues that lead the trio—and the sisters&’ cat Samantha—to the small mountain town of San Cayetano. There, they encounter a group of suspects disputing legal claims over a piece of property—and discover multiple motives that could link one or more of them to murder . . . &“Top notch mystery and detection.&” —The New York Times
Cat's Cradle
by William W. JohnstoneNo one knew where she had come from. A scrap of a girl clinging to a black cat with eerie yellow eyes. A lost child or an orphan, maybe. It was a miracle she had survived on Eden Mountain at all. Suddenly strange things began to happen in placid Ruger County, bizarre killings that the police couldn’t solve. Horrifying accidents that the people couldn’t comprehend. An insatiable beast was stalking their intimate hideaways, their swimming holes—and their children. No one noticed how quickly the little girl’s pale cheeks turned pink with health. How her frail body filled out with sleek, lithe muscles and feline grace. And no one noticed that at night her innocent blue eyes turned an eerie, evil yellow . . .
Cat's Eye
by Jennifer Yaeggy Gemma Herrero VirtoDark forests, paranormal phenomena, a crime spree that shocks a small town and a stone that lets you connect to the other side. Are you brave enough to enter Erkiaga? Laura Ugalde, a young anthropology professor, decides to leave her old life behind and move to the town of Erkiaga to do the facial reconstruction of an unknown female, murdered 15 years ago. However, a series of strange events start to occur as soon as she arrives: episodes of sleepwalking where she destroys the previous day's work, paranormal phenomena, threats of what will happen if she doesn't abandon the case. In spite of all this, Laura decides to continue her work, but several men from the town begin to show up dead; murdered as she works on the reconstruction process. Is she committing these heinous crimes in her sleep? Is the dead girl's spirit gaining enough strength to enact her vengeance thanks to her reconstruction work? Or is there someone so interested in not having the crime solved that they're systematically eliminating all of the witnesses?
Cat's Eye
by William W. JohnstoneSCRATCH. PURR. Night after night the soft cat noises drifted through the isolated A-frame where bestselling author Dee Conner retreated to write her romances. Was it another harmless prank pulled by one of her fans? Or was it something much more sinister . . . and deadly . . . ? SCRATCH. PURR. Carl Garrett, the fourth bodyguard hired to protect Dee, recognized the sounds for what they were. Demon sounds. Garrett was one of the few survivors of the hushed-up events in Ruger County. But the Lord of Darkness would not make the same mistake twice. The battle was only just beginning—a battle of nerves as well as strength that would pit one man against the most terrifying evil of all . . .
Cat's Eyewitness (Mrs. Murphy Mystery #13)
by Rita Mae Brown Sneaky Pie BrownIt's no secret that cats are a mystery writer's best friend. Just ask the bestselling team of Rita Mae Brown and her furry partner, Sneaky Pie Brown, back on the prowl with another unforgettable whodunit. This time a controversial miracle in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains sparks religious fervor-and a suspicious death. Now the indefatigable felines Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, along with the dogged corgi Tee Tucker, must trust their animal instincts to sniff out the worst of human nature. . . . With the holidays approaching, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her best friend, Susan Tucker, take a much-needed time-out at the mountain monastery of Mount Carmel. There, under the benevolent gaze of the statue of the Virgin Mary, their worldly worries are soon overshadowed. For in front of their very eyes the statue begins to cry tears of blood. Legend has it that Mary's crimson tears are harbingers of crises. And though skeptical, the ever-practical Harry can already see one on the horizon. If leaked, news of the so-called miracle could turn the monastery and the town of Crozet into a circus. What Harry doesn't foresee is murder. ... When Susan's great-uncle Thomas, a resident monk, is found frozen to death at the base of the statue, foul play is ruled out-at first. But at Harry's urging, the body is exhumed for an autopsy. There's just one problem: the coffin is empty. That's when Mrs. Murphy, Pewter, and Tucker get involved. Then there's the shocking revelation of a mystery that has perplexed the citizens of Crozet for ages. With Christmas around the corner and the monastery overrun by the faithful, all Harry's meddling menagerie can do is stay on her trail as she jumps knee-deep into an unofficial investigation-one that becomes more dangerous when another Crozet citizen meets an untimely demise. In this case it will be a miracle if Harry stays alive. . . . From the Hardcover edition.
Cat's Meow (The 2 Sisters Pet Valet Mysteries #2)
by Dane McCaslinRetired schoolteacher Gwen Franklin has a new pet project—and a sideline in sleuthing. But this new case has a dangerous sting in the tail . . . Gwen&’s calendar has been filling up ever since she was hounded by her best friend, Nora, into starting 2 Sisters Pet Valet Services. Now they&’ve been invited to attend the annual Clear the Shelter event, hosted by Portland&’s very own blonde bombshell newscaster, Babs Prescott. Babs is convinced she&’s top dog among local celebrities, but it&’s clear that someone disagrees when Babs&’ body is found following a downtown press conference. A story this juicy would be headline news at any time, but especially once local crime reporter Shelby Tucker is arrested for the murder. Gwen was Shelby&’s high school teacher, and she&’s sure her former pupil is innocent. But in that case, who was itching to take Babs out of the spotlight for good? As Nora and Gwen investigate, they find personal mysteries at odds with Babs&’ public persona, all leading to a killer who&’s not pussyfooting around . . .