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Three Can Keep A Secret (Stella Crown Series #0)
by Judy ClemensIf a blackmail letter drives a man to suicide, is the sender guilty of murder?"Yes," says Oliver Swithin, author of bestselling Finsbury the Ferret children's stories and amateur sleuth, who is on holiday in an ancient village.A midnight streak with his naked girlfriend—Scotland Yard's Effie Strongitham—abruptly ends in the discovery of a corpse. Retired radiobroadcaster Dennis Breedlove has hanged himself from the old gibbet. Evidence suggests blackmail may have driven this celebrity to suicide. Irresistibly intrigued, Oliver believes discovering the dead man's secret will lead to the identity of the blackmailer. But in Britain today, when shame is a ticket to fame, why suicide? What if it wasn't?When the mystery abruptly turns inside out, black-clad strangers attack Oliver in the night. The Vicar behaves strangely. So do the village's five unmarried Bennet sisters, a mysterious monk, the persistent, self-effacing Underwood Tooth, and Oliver's Uncle Tim, Effie's superior at the Yard and a part-time Shakespearean actor. Plus Oliver's aunt and his mother. Who else might play a role in This Private Plot? Two William Shakespeares?It's time to put the laugh back into slaughter with the long-awaited third chapter in the career of Oliver Swithin. Yet under the clever wordplay and bawdy jokes lies an inventive and, yes, scholarly plot.
The Spotted Dog (Corinna Chapman Mysteries #7)
by Kerry GreenwoodMurder is unthinkable to The People—a Paleolithic tribe crossing Alaska. For The People, among the first undocumented immigrants to enter the Americas, murder isn't merely tragic, it's forbidden. Murder poisons the entire tribe and puts it at odds with nature, the Spirits, and the mighty Earth Mother. A murderer must be removed in order to set the world back in balance.Raven is the aging Spirit Man to a band where a member has been garroted. Worse, witchcraft is involved—another appalling violation of The People's beliefs. A woman claiming to be The Earth Mother declares only Raven can solve the crimes and restore The People to harmony. But Raven isn't a Spirit Man by vocation. He's an agnostic—his band needed someone for the job and he needed to secure his place with them. He begins having dreams of a strange man holding his, the Spirit Man's, skull in his hands. How will a man who doubts the authenticity of The Earth Mother as a goddess satisfy her demands? What if she and the dreams of some future are both real and solving the crimes must lead to his death? An impossible situation becomes more terrible as Raven realizes he's falling in love with a young woman of his band who, he suspects, is the guilty party.
King Arthur's Wars: The Anglo-Saxon Conquest of England
by Jim StorrThe story of an era shrouded in mystery, and the gradual changing of a nation&’s cultural identity. We speak English today, because the Anglo-Saxons took over most of post-Roman Britain. How did that happen? There is little evidence: not much archaeology, and even less written history. There is, however, a huge amount of speculation. King Arthur&’s Wars brings an entirely new approach to the subject—the answers are out there, in the British countryside, waiting to be found. Months of field work and map study allow us to understand, for the first time, how the Anglo-Saxons conquered England, county by county and decade by decade. King Arthur&’s Wars exposes what the landscape and the place names tell us. As a result, we can now know far more about this &“Dark Age.&” What is so special about Essex? Why is Buckinghamshire an odd shape? Why is the legend of King Arthur so special to us? Why don&’t Cumbrian farmers use English numbers when they count sheep? Why don&’t we know where Camelot was? Why did the Romano-British stop eating oysters? This book provides a new level of understanding of the centuries preceding the Norman Conquest.
Mirror Image: A Daniel Rinaldi Mystery (large Print 16pt) (Daniel Rinaldi Thrillers #1)
by Dennis PalumboMystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"[R]eaders who appreciate careful plot development, slightly unusual detectives, and logical denouements will relish this volume." —Library JournalImpossible crime stories have been relished by puzzle-lovers ever since the invention of detective fiction. Fiendishly intricate cases were particularly well suited to the cerebral type of detective story that became so popular during the 'golden age of murder' between the two world wars. But the tradition goes back to the days of Edgar Allan Poe and Wilkie Collins, and impossible crime stories have been written by such luminaries as Arthur Conan Doyle, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers and Margery Allingham.This anthology celebrates their work, alongside long-hidden gems by less familiar writers. Together these stories demonstrate the range and high accomplishment of the classic British impossible crime story over more than half a century.
Five For Silver (John, the Lord Chamberlain Mysteries #5)
by Mary Reed Eric MayerWinner, Glyph Award for Best Book SeriesNominee, Bruce Alexander History Mystery AwardIn 542, Peter, John the Lord Chamberlain's elderly servant, claims a heavenly visitor revealed a murder to him. It transpires that Peter's old army friend has indeed been stabbed, but then John discovers that Gregory was not what he appeared to be.John's quest for the truth leads him to churchmen and whores, lawyers and bear trainers. Suspects include a dealer in dubious antiquities, a resourceful bookseller, a court poet fixated on bereavement, and a holy fool who outrages the city by dancing with the dead and invading the empress' private bath....
15 Years of War: How the Longest War in U.S. History Affected a Military Family in Love, Loss, and the Cost of Service
by Kristine Schellhaas&“First-time author Schellhaas presents a moving memoir of her life with her husband, Ross . . . after [he] is deployed to Iraq after the events of 9/11.&” —Publishers Weekly Less than 1 percent of our nation will ever serve in our armed forces, leaving many to wonder what life is really like for military families. He answers the call of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Pacific; she keeps the home fires burning. Worlds apart, and in the face of indescribable grief, their relationship is pushed to the limits. 15 Years of War provides a unique he said/she said perspective on coping with war in modern-day America. It reveals a true account of how a dedicated Marine and his equally committed spouse faced unfathomable challenges and achieved triumph, from the days just before 9/11 through fifteen years of training workups, deployments, and other separations. This story of faith, love, and resilience offers insight into how a decade and a half of war has redefined what it means to be a military family. &“[A] tough-minded but open-hearted memoir . . . a frank description of what it takes for a spouse and family to support a soldier. The Schellhaases&’ story is deeply personal and unique, but it will resonate with other families, both civilian and military.&” —Foreword Magazine &“Kristine Schellhaas is a beautiful and transcendent voice of truth and consequence, and her memoir, 15 Years of War, should be required reading for every American who wants to understand just exactly what they have asked of the chosen 1 [percent].&” —Angela Ricketts, author of No Man&’s War: Irreverent Confession of an Infantry Wife
Holy Smoke: A Jerusalem Mystery (large Print 16pt) (Jerusalem Mysteries #2)
by Frederick RamsayThe year is 29 C.E., and Jerusalem chafes under the Roman Empire's oppressive rule. A badly scorched body is found behind the Veil of the Holy of Holies—the Temple's inner sanctum, the most sacred space on earth for the Jews. No one except the high priest may enter this place and he only on the Day of Atonement. This is no casual violation, and the authorities are in an uproar.Gamaliel, the rabban of the Sanhedrin, is the ranking rabbi in all of Judea. Now he must solve this delicate mystery while dark agents with unholy interests plot to seize control of much of the trade in certain highly profitable imports. As the tangled web of intrigue and murder is slowly unraveled, Yeshua, the radical rabbi from Galilee, continues to annoy the high priest, and holy smoke from the sacrifices rises from the Temple.
Just Make Believe (Lady Adelaide Mysteries #3)
by Maggie Robinson"Mystery meets romance meets noir meets caper."—Kirkus ReviewsAnnabelle Starkey is a shrewd, sweet, and sexy Stephanie Plum without the Jersey girl attitude. She's a one-man kind of girl who loves hats and shoes.Annabelle also loves movies. But her own life doesn't match her favorite silver-screen scenarios. Then, one day she meets charming, slightly mysterious, and definitely magnetic Mickey Paxton and decides it's time to live one of those Cary Grant films. They fly to Las Vegas for a holiday and a test flight for romance.The script takes a surprising turn when they arrive in Sin City. Suddenly Annabelle and Mickey are on the run—from what? And why? Did Mickey lead Annabelle into this mess? Then a murder in Annabelle's San Francisco apartment sends the couple winging west to that city where, once again, criminals and cops pursue them.In two frenetic days of fast driving, fast talking, and fast thinking, Annabelle learns to trust her instincts. No matter what the danger, Annabelle's fresh and funny voice is her best weapon.
Random Road: Introducing Geneva Chase (Geneva Chase Crime Reporter Mysteries #1)
by Thomas Kies"This suspenseful story will appeal to readers who enjoy hard-nosed investigative reporters such as Brad Parks's Carter Ross."—Library Journal STARRED reviewMeet Geneva Chase, veteran crime reporter: she's driven, tenacious, and on the losing end of the bottle.That is, until Geneva catches a break.Veteran reporter Geneva Chase is at the end of her professional rope. Battling alcoholism and bad choices, she's lost every major news job she's had; working at her hometown newspaper is her last chance to redeem herself—and now the paper's future is in doubt.And then she lands the story of a lifetime: Six nude bodies are found hacked to pieces in a Queen Anne mansion on the coast of Long Island Sound. The sensational headline is picked up by the metro papers, and Geneva is back in the game, using her reporter's nose to sniff out the secrets of Connecticut's rich and entitled citizens.As her grisly investigation leads her deeper into dangerous waters, her toxic affair with a married man and her inability to get sober threaten to undo everything she has worked so hard to achieve—and some people might be willing to kill if it means keeping their business out of the papers…This special First-in-a-Series edition includes:A New Introduction by the AuthorA Reading Group GuideA Conversation with the AuthorAn Excerpt from Darkness Lane, the Next Geneva Chase Crime Reporter MysteryGeneva Chase Crime Reporter Mysteries in order by Thomas KiesRandom RoadDarkness LaneGraveyard BayShadow Hill
Silent Witness: A Sam Kincaid Mystery (Sam Kincaid Series #2)
by Michael NormanMystery crime fiction written in the Golden Age of Murder"Like an assortment of presents under a Christmas tree, there's something for everyone in this Yule-themed reprint anthology in the British Library Crime Classics series from Edwards." —Publishers WeeklyChristmas is a mysterious, as well as magical, time of year. Strange things can happen, and this helps to explain the hallowed tradition of telling ghost stories around the fireside as the year draws to a close. Christmas tales of crime and detection have a similar appeal. When television becomes tiresome, and party games pall, the prospect of curling up in the warm with a good mystery is enticing—and much better for the digestion than yet another helping of plum pudding.Crime writers are just as susceptible as readers to the countless attractions of Christmas. Over the years, many distinguished practitioners of the genre have given one or more of their stories a Yuletide setting. The most memorable Christmas mysteries blend a lively storyline with an atmospheric evocation of the season. Getting the mixture right is much harder than it looks.This book introduces of readers to some of the finest Christmas detective stories of the past. Martin Edwards' selection blends festive pieces from much-loved authors with one or two stories which are likely to be unfamiliar even to diehard mystery fans. The result is a collection of crime fiction to savor, whatever the season.
The Heirs of Anthony Boucher: A History of Mystery Fandom
by Marvin Lachman"Lose all thought of New Year's diets, you who enter Australian author Greenwood's delectable second Corinna Chapman cozy." —Publishers Weekly STARRED reviewCorinna Chapman wakes at four every morning to make bread. She's happy with her life. The residents of her little Melbourne community finally caught the rotten man sending those "scarlet woman" letters. The former addict she rescued from her alleyway, Jason, is shaping into a good apprentice. And her beautiful Israeli lover, Daniel, who has been away for the last couple of weeks, is as enchanting as ever.Corinna has no intention of doing any more investigative work...until she bites into what should have been a lovely violet cream gourmet chocolate and instead chomps a chili-filled catastrophe.Could someone want Heavenly Pleasures, her friends' chocolate shop, to fail? Is this tasteless tampering part of an elaborate and horrible joke? Or is it a warning that worse is to come?Then Daniel returns bruised and battered from a run-in with a so-called messiah. Could the assailant be involved in the chocolate crime as well? And who is the mysterious man who has moved into the upper apartment?
Manzanilla
by Christopher Fielden Javier HidalgoAn exploration and appreciation of a fine Spanish sherry too often overlooked in the world of wines and aperitifs—but is about to make its mark. Little-known and underappreciated, Manzanilla is a variety of fino sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Andalusia, Spain. Here, the author of Is This the Wine You Ordered, Sir? and A Traveller&’s Wine Guide to France, casts an admiring light on a delightful sherry that is only now gaining the reputation it deserves and finding admirers all around the world. Basing his findings on research in the archives of the Duchess of Medina Sidonia and visits to the bodegas of all the leading producers, Christopher Fielden guides the reader towards a new view of this dry white wine. Tasting notes are also provided.
A Scream in Soho: A British Library Crime Classic (British Library Crime Classics)
by John G. Brandon"All the fast-paced action and danger readers have come to expect." —Kirkus ReviewsIke Schwartz, Sheriff of Picketsville, Virginia, and his fiancée Ruth Dennis, the President of a local university, seek asylum from a trying year of academic and local politics on Scone Island, four miles off the coast of Maine. Its lack of electricity, reliable water supply, and phone service guarantee their seclusion and peace. The suspicious accident that resulted in the death of the mysterious Harmon Staley should not concern them at all. And it doesn't...until Ike's past as a CIA agent rolls in on him like the area's famous twelve-foot tides. Two more murders involving former colleagues send Ike's old CIA friend Charlie Garland searching for a connection. Stonewalling by the CIA and conspiracies—real and imagined—leave Ike and Ruth facing an unknown number of determined assassins alone on the island. Then Ruth's mother decides to drop in on them just as the excitement begins....
Nantucket Counterfeit (Henry Kennis Nantucket Mysteries #5)
by Steven Axelrod2014 Left Coast Crime Awards nominee for Best Mystery in a Foreign Setting"Vibrant with the frenzied nightlife of Mykonos and the predators who feed on it. A twisty page-turner." —Michael Stanley, award-winning author of the Detective Kubu mysteriesMykonos holds tight to its past even as it transforms from an obscure, impoverished Aegean island into a tourist mecca and summertime playground for the world's rich, a process making the Mykonian people some of the wealthiest in Greece. Yes, the old guard is still a force to be reckoned with despite the new money. One of them, a legendary nightclub owner, has been found savagely bludgeoned in his home. All evidence points to obvious thugs. Yet the murder has put long hidden, politically explosive secrets in play and drawn a dangerous foreign investor to the island paradise. Andreas Kaldis, feared head of Greece's special crimes division, is certain there's a far more complex solution to the murder than robbery, and he vows to find it. His quest for answers cuts straight into the entrenched cultural contradictions that give Mykonos so much of its magic and soon has him battling ruthless opportunists preying on his country's weakened financial condition. Kaldis learns there is a high, unexpected price to pay for his curiosity as he becomes locked in a war with a powerful, clandestine international force willing to do whatever it takes to change and wrest control of Mykonos, no matter the collateral damage. Such is global crime. And the need for a wily hero to stand against it.
Give the Devil His Due (Rowland Sinclair WWII Mysteries #7)
by Sulari GentillCWA Dagger and Edgar award-winning author Martin Edwards takes readers back to The Lake District after seven years with a cunningly layered mystery that Publishers Weekly calls a "skillful combination of procedural and whodunnit.""Life is certainly nasty, brutish, and short—least for most of the characters in Edwards's much-awaited new installment, set on the edge of England's Lake District."—First ClueWhat happened to Ramona Smith?In the The Girl They All Forgot (The Crooked Shore), history always repeats itself. After a father and son commit suicide on the same day, twenty years apart, DCI Hannah Scarlet, and her Cold Cases Division reopen the investigation of Ramona Smith, a woman who disappeared twenty-one years ago. Desperate to finally find answers, Hannah and her team chase leads as meandering as the shoreline. As the body count rises, the Cold Cases Division must unravel the lives of those on The Crooked Shore before another murder plot unfolds.
This Private Plot: An Oliver Swithin Mystery (Oliver Swithin Mysteries #3)
by Alan BeecheyIf a blackmail letter drives a man to suicide, is the sender guilty of murder?"Yes," says Oliver Swithin, author of bestselling Finsbury the Ferret children's stories and amateur sleuth, who is on holiday in an ancient village.A midnight streak with his naked girlfriend—Scotland Yard's Effie Strongitham—abruptly ends in the discovery of a corpse. Retired radiobroadcaster Dennis Breedlove has hanged himself from the old gibbet. Evidence suggests blackmail may have driven this celebrity to suicide. Irresistibly intrigued, Oliver believes discovering the dead man's secret will lead to the identity of the blackmailer. But in Britain today, when shame is a ticket to fame, why suicide? What if it wasn't?When the mystery abruptly turns inside out, black-clad strangers attack Oliver in the night. The Vicar behaves strangely. So do the village's five unmarried Bennet sisters, a mysterious monk, the persistent, self-effacing Underwood Tooth, and Oliver's Uncle Tim, Effie's superior at the Yard and a part-time Shakespearean actor. Plus Oliver's aunt and his mother. Who else might play a role in This Private Plot? Two William Shakespeares?It's time to put the laugh back into slaughter with the long-awaited third chapter in the career of Oliver Swithin. Yet under the clever wordplay and bawdy jokes lies an inventive and, yes, scholarly plot.
Finding the Few: Some Outstanding Mysteries of the Battle of Britain Investigated and Solved
by Andy SaundersAn &“extraordinarily researched&” account of a quest to find MIA fighter pilots decades after World War II (Barrett Tillman). 1940: The air over Britain is filled with danger. Courageous and heroic men fly and fight, often sacrificing their lives to keep the nation free. Some of them will disappear into the summer sky without leaving a trace . . . This remarkable book records the lives of RAF pilots who were shot down and remained missing for decades—until diligent research efforts by author Andy Saunders and others brought identification to them and closure to their families. Each case represents a fascinating human story of drama, love, and tragedy; these stories are filled with startling detective work, remarkable coincidences, and shocking controversy. Finding the Few ends with a mystery still unsolved, and features photographs throughout, standing as a fitting testament to those men lost but not forgotten.
A Dangerous Language (Rowland Sinclair WWII Mysteries #7)
by Sulari GentillA fascinating historical mystery by Sulari Gentill, author of #1 LibraryReads pick The Woman in the LibraryWords of peace are sometimes the most dangerous language of allWhen Rowland Sinclair offers to fly internationally renowned Czech novelist and peace advocate Egon Kisch to Melbourne to kick off a speaking tour, he has no clue that the government has charged the Attorney General with preventing Kisch from stepping foot on Australian soil. Then Jim Kelly, a known Communist, is ruthlessly murdered on the Parliament House steps. It's soon evident that an extreme fascist group is also intent on keeping Kisch's words from ever reaching their countrymen's ears—even if they have to kill him, or anyone helping him gain entry.Rowland, meanwhile, reconnects with his first love, who has returned after years abroad and seeks him out. When the two are photographed in flagrante delicto by reporters, Rowland fears he has ruined her reputation, and proposes marriage—despite the fact that his heart belongs to someone else…Certain to appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen, Kerry Greenwood, and Jacqueline Winspear, this WWII Mystery features political intrigue, dark secrets, a baffling crime, and an unstoppable amateur sleuth. Blending historical facts and figures with rollicking adventure, A Dangerous Language shows how far fanatics are willing to go to ensure that their side of the story is the only story people hear.
Shanghai Secrets (Rowland Sinclair WWII Mysteries #9)
by Sulari GentillRoman Britain in 91 AD is a raw frontier province, part of the mighty Empire ruled by Domitian Caesar. Though it is almost fifty years since the legions invaded, many native tribes still hate their conquerors and seize any chance to harass the Roman settlers who are flocking in to colonize the new province. Tension is especially high in the north, where Aurelia Marcella, a young innkeeper from Italy, runs the Oak Tree Inn on the road to York.A string of savage murders disrupts her peaceful life, and she and her Roman friends find themselves under attack from a secret native war-band whose aim is to drive all Romans out. When a traveler, Quintus, is nearly killed close to the inn, he and Aurelia must track down the rebel warriors and identify their mysterious masked leader, the Shadow of Death. Can they find and destroy him before his campaign of terror turns into open rebellion?
Crossed Skis: An Alpine Mystery (British Library Crime Classics)
by Carol CarnacDiscover the captivating treasures buried in the British Library's archives. Largely inaccessible to the public until now, these enduring classics were written in the golden age of detective fiction.Crossed skis means danger ahead...In Bloomsbury, London, Inspector Brook of Scotland Yard looks down at a dismal scene. The victim of a ruthless murder lies burnt beyond recognition, his possessions and papers destroyed by fire. But there is one strange, yet promising, lead—a lead which suggests the involvement of a skier.Meanwhile, piercing sunshine beams down on the sparkling snow of the Austrian Alps, where a merry group of holidaymakers are heading towards Lech am Arlberg. Eight men and eight women take to the slopes, but, as the C.I.D. scrambles to crack the perplexing case in Britain, the ski party are soon to become sixteen suspects. A riveting piece of British crime fiction that spans from foggy London to the sparkling Alps, the double narrative of this golden age mystery twists and turns with alacrity, culminating in a thrilling denouement.
Hidden Scars (Blackman Agency Investigations #6)
by Mark de CastriqueAfter a gruesome killing at the Carlton County, Kansas, livestock feedyard, Sheriff Sam Abbot, Undersheriff Lottie Albright, and her ranching husband deputy know their resources are over-stretched. Still, none of their team or neighboring law enforcement in Western Kansas welcomes the idea of a regional crime center.Kansas Bureau of Investigation Agent Dimon suggests the murder may not be a simple local affair. Unconvinced, Lottie— still director of the historical society—calls for stories from families whose ancestors were part of groups colonizing Kansas. Doña Francisca Díaz is the ancient head of one such clan.It turns out, Francisca's great grandson Victor was the murder victim. Francisca, a fabled curandera with terribly damaged hands, insists she knows why Victor was killed. The key, she claims, is in ancient documents.At Doña Francisca's invitation, Lottie visits the Díaz' property. In a drought-ridden area, the land is lush. Francisca wants Lottie to train as her heir. Reluctant yet fascinated, Lottie agrees.Will Lottie be lost in this maze of magic? Does this family and its secret hold the key to murder and other terrible crimes?
Miraculous Mysteries: Locked-Room Murders and Impossible Crimes (British Library Crime Classics #0)
by Edited by Martin EdwardsA fascinating historical mystery by Sulari Gentill, author of #1 LibraryReads pick The Woman in the Library"Set in Australia in 1933, Gentill's entertaining third mystery featuring portrait artist Rowland Sinclair will appeal to fans of Greenwood's Phryne Fisher." —Publishers Weekly"Norman Lindsay is a complete and utter bastard!"With this curse heaped upon the renowned real-life Australian artist and cartoonist, Miles Off Course gets underway. It is early in 1933, and wealthy bohemian Rowland Sinclair and his companions, a poet, a painter, and a sculptress who also models nude, are ensconced in the superlative luxury of The Hydro Majestic-Medlow Bath, where trouble seems distant, despite Australia's being roiled by the same political currents as are upending Europe.But Rowland, try as he might to lead the boho life in Sydney in the family mansion or in a luxury spa, can't dismiss the responsibilities of being a Sinclair. Most of them rest upon his conservative elder brother, Wilfred. And Wil now makes two claims on Rowly. One is to appear at an important upcoming board meeting of a firm where Rowly, pressured by Wil, serves as a director. And the other is to hustle up into the high country where a longtime family stockman appears to have gone missing—and find him.Harry Simpson is an aborigine. The easy answer is that Harry has gone walkabout, but neither Sinclair brother believes this to be true. Plus there are the Sinclair cattle to round up.Instead of saddling up, Rowly insists upon driving his beautiful if despised Mercedes-Benz and taking a posse in the persons of his three live-in friends along. And off they go into a rollicking Outback adventure, where the familiar elements of an American Western blend with gangsters, spies, murder—and a very belligerent writer. The plot dances inventively around actual historical events and a cameo appearance or two made by famous Australian historical figures. Which takes us back to Norman Lindsay....Brimming with larger-than-life characters and brain teasing crimes, this Rowland Sinclair WWII Mystery will appeal to fans of Rhys Bowen, Kerry Greenwood, and Jacqueline Winspear.
Baby, Take a Bow: A Grace Street Mystery (Grace Street Mysteries #5)
by Jane Tesh"…readers seeking a cozy, feel-good mystery will enjoy this outing to Grace Street. The delightful characters navigate their worldly and otherworldly challenges with affection and humor, and Tesh maintains a whimsical tone that doesn't detract from the serious subject matter." —Publishers WeeklyCamden's friend Rufus Jackson receives a letter from his ex-wife, Bobbi, and he's surprised to learn he's the father of a baby. When Bobbi is found murdered in her home and her baby stolen, Rufus becomes suspect number one. PI David Randall immediately takes the case.But Randall is almost sidetracked from the case by a series of what appears to be never-ending favors. When he takes his friend Cam to the Carlyle House to sing for a concert, Cam encounters Delores Carlyle, a troubled spirit trapped inside a huge mirror, who wants to see her daughter, Beverly, one last time. Beverly Carlyle will come to the house on one condition: that Randall find a home for her surly teenage son, Kit, and a band for her obnoxious daughter, Frieda. Kit is welcome at 302 Grace, but to secure a spot for Frieda, Randall has to get a local girl group a gig at a local nightclub. The owner agrees, if Cam will pose as a teenager and spy on a rival club. Cam agrees if Randall will take him to Green Valley to answer some questions about his past. And another ghost is haunting the hot dog restaurant, refusing to talk to Cam.In addition to the tangle of deals, Randall has to contend with Rufus being hell-bent on revenge, the return of Cam's telekinesis, and growing concern that if the baby—a girl named Mary Rose, as it turns out—is found, Rufus, might not want to keep her.But where is Mary Rose?
Brooklyn Legacies (Erica Donato Mysteries #5)
by Triss SteinNext in the Erica Donato Mystery SeriesMurder strikes the neighborhoods of Brooklyn—the hip, the historic, and the hoodThe search for a lost portrait of Brooklyn's own genius Walt Whitman sends urban historian and curator of mysteries Dr. Erica Donato into Brooklyn Heights, a neighborhood of quaint and charming streets, family names out of history, and spectacular views of the harbor and the world-famous bridge. New York's first suburb has long weathered political battles about neighborhood preservation and destruction. Is a new one shaping up?Erica meets an idol, fiery community activist Louisa Gibbs, now locked in a dispute with the Watch Tower Society. One of Brooklyn's biggest landowners, the Jehovah's Witnesses are selling off their holdings. Then at a glittering party, Erica meets the threatening Prinzig clan who are trying to buy the Witness's property adjoining Louisa's historic home.The discovery of the Society's Daniel Towns' body in the Witnesses' underground tunnels reignites old conflicts. Erica learns Louisa has made bitter enemies in her time while she becomes steadily better acquainted with a collection of characters young and old, sane and not-so-sane, living and dead. They all carry bitter secrets and old enmities.The beautiful setting only hides them. Can Erica use her research expertise to expose a killer?When curator of mysteries Dr. Erica Donato takes on a case in the historical neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights, she finds herself facing long-buried, deadly secrets. Can she find answers before more people fall victim to the sins of the past?This intricately woven, Brooklyn-led mystery is:Perfect for fans of Laura Lippman and Reed Farrell ColemanFor readers who enjoy New York City based mysteries
City of Dark Corners: A Novel
by Jon Talton"Talton shines in weaving together the mystery elements of the plots with historical events from the Prohibition period. Fast-paced, gritty, and exciting, this one will have fans of both Depression-era and southwestern-set crime fiction begging for more!"—Booklist, Starred ReviewA fresh take on classic noir, City of Dark Corners reveals the seedy underbelly of the budding city of Phoenix in the 1930s and the lengths one man will go to uphold justice no matter the cost.Phoenix, 1933: A young city with big dreams and dark cornersGreat War veteran and rising star Gene Hammons lost his job as a homicide detective when he tried to prove that a woman was wrongly convicted of murder to protect a well-connected man. Now a private investigator, Hammons makes his living looking for missing persons—a plentiful caseload during the Great Depression, when people seem to disappear all the time.But his routine is disrupted when his brother—another homicide detective, still on the force—enlists his help looking into the death of a young woman whose dismembered body is found beside the railroad tracks. The sheriff rules it an accident, but the carnage is too neat, and the staging of the body parts too ritual. Hammons suspects it's the work of a "lust murderer"—similar to the serial strangler whose killing spree he had ended a few years earlier. But who was the poor girl, dressed demurely in pink? And why was his business card tucked into her small purse? As Hammons searches for the victim's identity, he discovers that the dead girl had some secrets of her own, and that the case is connected to some of Phoenix's most powerful citizens—on both sides of the law.Perfect for fans of David Baldacci and historical mysteries, City of Dark Corners puts readers at the heart of the fear and uncertainty of the Great Depression and the lawlessness of America during prohibition.Additional praise for City of Dark Corners:"This gritty stand-alone deals with Phoenix's rough-and-tumble past and its questionable police force in the 1930s. Talton excels at creating the ambiance of historic Phoenix. [Suggested] for fans of realistic historical mysteries or Phoenix Noir."—Library Journal, Starred Review"References to movie actors and other celebrities of the day, as well as speakeasies and bootleggers, lend atmosphere to this well-crafted tale involving desperate people who could easily disappear."—Publishers Weekly