Category: Mystery

Slay Bells Ring by Nancy Robards Thompson

Posted October 9, 2019 by Marsha in Christmas Romance, Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Series, Tule Publishing / 0 Comments

It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it.

Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic.

Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery-writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation.

With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.

Titles in The Wedding Bell Mysteries series include – Slay Bells Ring –

Murder in the First Edition by Lauren Elliott

Posted September 26, 2019 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

Addie Greyborne is preparing for the holidays at her bookstore in seaside New England–but a winter storm is coming, in more ways than one . . .

Addie’s getting into the spirit for the upcoming Charity Auction—especially since she’s got an 1843 copy of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to donate. Her former colleagues at the Boston Public Library have confirmed that its worth runs toward the high five figures, which should help with the new pediatric wing. Her mood darkens, though, when a visitor from the past appears—Jonathan Hemingway, the father of her late fiancé. His presence stirs up sad memories for Addie but also has her fuming when Jonathan, true to his womanizing ways, runs off for a lunchtime liaison with Teresa Lang, who’s in charge of the auction.

Soon after, Addie heads to Teresa’s office at the hospital—and finds the poor woman’s dead body. What she doesn’t find is her valuable first edition. What sort of Scrooge would steal from sick children and commit murder in the process? As a Nor’easter bears down and a mystery emerges about Jonathan’s past, Addie must find out if she can appraise people’s motives and characters as well as she can appraise rare books.

Titles in the Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series include – Murder by the Book – Prologue to Murder – Murder in the First Edition – Proof of Murder –

Out of the Picture by Tracy Gardner

Posted September 14, 2019 by Marsha in Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

There’s an art to solving a mystery…

Savanna Shepherd is a former art authenticator—someone who can tell a forgery from the real thing. She’s got a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight.

In the wake of a painful breakup, she moves back to her idyllic hometown on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as a grade school art teacher. Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural.

But sad and strange incidents occur at the woman’s mansion, compelling Savanna to investigate. With a little help from her sisters—and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor—will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture?

Titles in the Shepherd Sisters Mystery series include — Out of the Picture –

Target in Jeopardy by Carla Cassidy

Posted September 11, 2019 by Marsha in Connection to another series, Harlequin, Modern Western Romance, Multi-Author Series, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments

A prodigal Colton comes home…

…to the shock of his life!

Grieving the loss of his late wife, Dallas Colton rarely lets his guard down. The one time he indulges in a wild night of passion, it yields unexpected results.

Seven months later, Dallas finds himself expecting twins with prosecutor Avery Logan—and working to protect Avery from criminals who want her dead.

But when long-buried secrets rise from the grave, their growing family is soon under siege.

Target in Jeopardy is the 3rd title in the multi-author series Colton 911. For a listing of titles and authors in this series, and links to reviews done here at Keeper Bookshelf please check out our Colton 911 page.

Connections in Death by J. D. Robb

Posted September 9, 2019 by Marsha in Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments

Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances.

For a complete list of the …in Death titles (some in anthologies) as well as links to the recent reviews done at Keeper Bookshelf please visit our J. D. Robb page.

Echoes of Evil by Heather Graham

Posted September 7, 2019 by Marsha in Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments

Something lurks beneath the surface…

Brodie McFadden is supposed to be on vacation, getting some sunshine and deciding if he wants to join his brothers and the Krewe of Hunters, a special paranormal investigation unit of the FBI. But a diving excursion with an old navy buddy to a historic shipwreck uncovers a crime scene—and the corpse is new.

Museum curator Dakota “Kody” McCoy just wants her Key West culture festival to succeed. She’s always had a deep connection to her home, including being regularly haunted by some of the resident ghosts. Then, in the middle of a performance, a beloved local musician drops dead. It seems accidental, but Kody isn’t so sure.

Brodie thinks the recent deaths are linked, and he needs help from Kody. Something about her festival is dangerous. And the threat is creeping ever closer. Has she uncovered a treasure from the past that someone will kill for?

Echoes of Evil is the 26th title in the ongoing Krewe of Hunters series. It is the third story of a trilogy within the Krewe of Hunters featuring the McFadden brothers. The titles within the trilogy include — Fade to Black – Pale as Death – Echoes of Evil.

Pale as Death by Heather Graham

Posted September 2, 2019 by Marsha in Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense, Series, Trilogy / 0 Comments

From the dark depths of Hollywood’s past

The crime scene is horrific: the corpse of a young actress drained of blood and cut in two. LAPD Detective Sophie Manning’s new case is high-profile and difficult—there’s no evidence to work with. And it’s a disturbing echo of the infamous Black Dahlia killing. Sophie is burning the candle at both ends, desperate to catch the murderer before he strikes again when she starts to experience inexplicable visits…from ghosts.

Bruce McFadden has a particular talent that can help Sophie—he can speak with the dead. As a consultant for the FBI’s paranormal team, the Krewe of Hunters, he’s been tasked with Sophie’s case and they’re forced to partner up. But Sophie doesn’t want his help, and she doesn’t want to share his peculiar skill. And she certainly isn’t ready for love, despite Bruce’s attentions.

As the killer taunts the police, Sophie and Bruce will discover that the threat is closer to home than they’d ever realized. Working side by side is the only way they’ll stop this deadly sequel.

Pale as Death is the 25th title in the ongoing Krewe of Hunters series. It is the second story of a trilogy within the Krewe of Hunters featuring the McFadden brothers. The titles within the trilogy include — Fade to Black – Pale as Death – Echoes of Evil.

Where The Snow Bleeds by Wendy Dranfield

Posted July 30, 2019 by Marsha in Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

“You want to know what I’ve learned after living in Lone Creek all my life? I know the snow bleeds here …”

Former police officer Dean Matheson has been playing it safe since the case that cost him almost everything. But working as a PI doesn’t quite cut it, that is until a British woman walks into his office with a job that Dean can’t resist.

The woman’s daughter, Hannah Walker, and her friend Jodie have gone missing whilst working at a ski resort in Colorado. It’s clear there’s something sinister about the girls’ disappearance, but then why are the local police department being so unhelpful?

So begins Dean’s journey to Lone Creek on the trail of the missing girls – and he’ll soon find out that in Lone Creek, everyone has something to hide.

Titles in the Dean Matheson series include — Who Cares If They Die – Where The Snow Bleeds –

The Girl Who Died is a YA crime novel that has a connection to a character in Where The Snow Bleeds.

Rock Chick by Kristen Ashley

Posted July 17, 2019 by Marsha in Connection to another series, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Series / 0 Comments

Indy Savage, cop’s daughter, rock chick and used bookstore owner, has been in love with Lee Nightingale, once bad boy, now the man behind Nightingale Investigations, since she was five years old. No matter what ingenious schemes Indy used to capture his attention, Lee never showed an interest and Indy finally gave up.

Now Indy’s employee, Rosie, has lost a bag of diamonds and bad guys are shooting at him. When Indy gets involved, Lee is forced to help. Complicating matters, Lee has decided he’s interested, Indy’s decided she’s not. But she can’t seem to keep Lee out of her life when she’s repeatedly stun gunned, kidnapped and there are car bombs exploding (not to mention she’s finding dead bodies).

Indy’s best bet is to solve the mystery of the diamonds before Lee. Lee’s challenge is to keep Indy alive and, at the same time, win back her heart.

Titles in the Rock Chick series include — Rock Chick – Rock Chick Rescue – Rock Chick Redemption – Rock Chick Renegade – Rock Chick Revenge – Rock Chick Reckoning – Rock Chick Regret – Rock Chick Revolution – Rock Chick Reawakening (1001 Dark Nights) – Rock Chick Reborn –

All of Ms. Ashley’s titles can be found on the Kristen Ashley page.

Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb

Posted July 10, 2019 by Marsha in Mystery, Series / 0 Comments

For the airline executives finalizing a merger that would make news in the business world, the nine a.m. meeting would be a major milestone. But after marketing VP Paul Rogan walked into the plush conference room, strapped with explosives, the headlines told of death and destruction instead. The NYPSD’s Eve Dallas confirms that Rogan was cruelly coerced by two masked men holding his family hostage. His motive was saving his wife and daughter―but what was the motive of the masked men?

Despite the chaos and bad publicity, blowing up one meeting isn’t going to put the brakes on the merger. All it’s accomplished is shattering a lot of innocent lives. Now, with the help of her billionaire husband Roarke, Eve must untangle the reason for an inexplicable act of terror, look at suspects inside and outside both corporations, and determine whether the root of this crime lies in simple sabotage, or something far more complex and twisted.

For a complete list of the …in Death titles (some in anthologies) as well as links to the recent reviews done at Keeper Bookshelf please visit our J. D. Robb page.

Devil’s Way Out by Nika Dixon

Posted June 26, 2019 by Marsha in Modern Western Romance, Mystery, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense / 0 Comments

Still angry over the death of the woman he loved, rancher Marshall Boyer wants nothing to do with women or love. But when the mysterious Emma drops into his life—barefoot, broke, and running scared—he can’t let her go.

Artist Emmaline Katz has a dangerous secret. After escaping a ruthless criminal who exploited her for years, her quest for freedom crashes to a halt in rural Montana. Out of money and options, she finds an unlikely haven with a handsome cowboy. But no matter how much she wants to believe his offer of protection, he doesn’t know the truth about her, her secret, or the man who will stop at nothing to get her back.

Time is running out. A cold-blooded killer has come to town, and Emma isn’t the only target.