Book Release

 

Just released...

Hazel Cartbell is back in her third mystery in the Who Murdered...? series.

It's the Christmas season in Andover, NH. Hazel and Chief Rasmussen must investigate the murder of Santa's helper.

The elf has been killed, the Christmas presents stolen and Sister Marie Catherine is breathing down their necks.

Will Hazel and the chief solve the mystery and save Christmas?

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NANOWRIMO

 

Having a wild ride with Nanowrimo...

50,000 words in 30 days. I've been a participant since 2007 and have 'won' some and not finished some. But it's always a huge motivator to propel my stories forward.

I am determined to have another 'winner' under my belt.  ☺☺☺

Book Release

 

Just in time for the holidays...

Christmas Caper by Jennifer Oberth

Ella’s pirate father-in-law is hosting the biggest Christmas bash Port Bass has ever seen. But when a guest is murdered, her husband is three sheets to the wind, and her boss is enamored with his new romance, it’s left up to Ella to solve the murder—quietly.

Can she enjoy the holidays while working—without pay?

This is the seventh story in the Ella Westin Mysteries and is 42,118 words.

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Z: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Francesca Zappia

Zappia doesn’t have a series going, but I did read Now Entering Addamsville.

It stars Zara Novak who is framed for a murder. Since she has a reputation in town for being a firestarter, everyone believes she’s guilty and she must find the real culprit.

The story has supernatural elements—Zara’s actually a firestarter hunter and she’s searching for her missing mother. But now she has to find a killer with the help of her cousin, Artemis.

Y: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Rick Yancey

The Highly Effective Detective series.

Teddy Ruzak is a bumbling idiot. After the death of his mother, Teddy quits his night watchman job and becomes a private detective—his childhood dream.

He hangs up a shingle, hires a Girl Friday and opens the doors. Which brings me back to my earlier statement: he is a bumbling idiot and he cannot pass the private eye exam which means no license.

Teddy’s shy and naïve, yet he stumbles onto the solutions. These are funny, loveable novels.

X: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Diana Xarissa Dunn

First off, I haven’t read any of these, but here’s my ‘X’ author and I plan to read two of her series to complete my Everything Author From A-Z. They sound like fun…

The Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series

and

The Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy series

One way I find books and series I don’t know about is by participating in challenges.

For instance—The Alphabet Challenge. You read a book whose title starts with each letter of the alphabet. Scanning bookstore shelves and library shelves to find some of the more obscure letters has caused me to pick books I would never choose simply because I was trying to complete the challenge. 

Reporter’s Challenge on Goodreads also causes me to choose different books in order to fill in the categories. And some of those become new favorites.

Yes, I do have my old favorites, but after all isn’t it fun to discover a new author?

W: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Betty Webb

The Gunn Zoo Mysteries.

This is a great series. The protagonist is Theodora Bentley and the premise is refreshing—Teddy works at a small, privately owned zoo in California and lives on a houseboat.

Everything about this series is exceptional, even the zoo inmates are murder suspects.

Fun, humorous and endearing.

Ashley Weaver

  Amory Ames Mysteries.

Set in England in the 1920s, a wealthy young woman, Amory is married to playboy Milo Ames.

Endearing, charming, engaging, romantic—all words that come to mind.

As the series progresses, so does Amory and Milo’s relationship. A definite favorite of mine.

V: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Elaine Viets

This author has two series I follow.

Dead End Job mysteries.

Helen Hawthorne is hiding out in Florida so she can only take jobs that pay under the table. Light-hearted and humorous, Helen goes from dead end job to dead end job finding murder victims along the way. She has to solve these crimes quickly so she can keep her own secret hidden from the investigators before they delve too deeply into her past.

Mystery Shopper series.

Josie Marcus is a mystery shopper in St. Louis who stumbles over dead bodies. Her mother and her daughter provide the humor. These are also light-hearted reads.

Viets has taken the Medicolegal Death Investigators Training Course and used her knowledge to write a new series—Angela Richman Death Investigator Books.

According to Viets, these novels are a bit on the darker side, but I love forensics, so I’m eager to read them.

U: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Waverly Underhill

Introducing a radio series starring:

Captain Waverly Underhill.

These Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater shows are fun and entertaining and feature Captain Underhill, a retired policeman, and his sidekick, Dr. Alexander Scofield—kind of a Holmes/Watson feel.

I listen to these DVDs frequently.

T: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Victoria Thompson

The Gaslight Mysteries is my absolute favorite series.

They’re set in New York City at the turn of the century. Estranged from her wealthy society family, Sarah Brandt lives and works as a midwife in the tenements of the city.

Discovering a murder, she assists Sergeant Frank Malloy’s investigation. This time period had a corrupt police force (the New York Police Commissioner Teddy Roosevelt era), but Frank is an honest cop trying to do his job. The historical details provide a vivid look at life in that era.

As each novel unfolds, the character development shows a nice progression in her life. I adore Brian—Malloy’s deaf son, Malloy’s mother, Gino and Maeve. Oh, and not to forget Sarah’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Decker and Sarah’s neighbor, Mrs. Ellsworth.

Quite frankly, all the returning characters are well established and consistent and add to the stories.

Like I said—my favorite series.

S: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Sarah Shankman

Samantha Adams Series.

Sam is a crime reporter who moves back to her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

Truth be told, I read these books a very long time ago, but I do remember I loved them—they were a riot. A blast from the past!

R: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Hannah Reed

Scottish Highlands Mysteries.

Eden Elliott embarks on an open-ended trip to the Scottish Highlands to research and write her book.

Of course murder occurs and Eden jumps into a murder investigation in lieu of working on her novel.

The characters interact well and the village details of Glenkillen paint a quaint, scenic picture. (So much so that I have a hankering to return to Scotland.)

Q: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Kwei Quartey

Darko Dawson Mysteries.

This series is a bit darker than my normal reads, but they’re full of rich details about the setting—which is Ghana—and age-old customs.

Detective Inspector Darko Dawson is a somewhat rebellious protagonist.

The stories are interesting to me as they introduce a culture I know little about.

P: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Leigh Perry

Family Skeleton Mysteries.

Set in New England, Georgia Thackery is an adjunct college professor. She moves around from college to college throughout the series.

Her sidekick is Sid, the Skeleton. Yep—a skeleton. Sid is a moving, walking, talking skeleton who lives in the old Thackery homestead (usually in the closet). When he’s out and about, he’s trying to avoid the family dog who considers him a snack!

Georgia has a good relationship with her teen-aged daughter, Madison and the trio solves crime like the pros.

Goofy premise—but a wonderous, loveable, heartwarming series.

O: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Kathryn O’Sullivan

Colleen McCabe Mysteries.

Fire Chief Colleen McCabe’s domain is Corolla, North Carolina (on the Outer Banks).

The author paints a beautiful picture of Corolla including its beaches and its famous wild horses.

Her sidekicks include sixty-five year old, feisty Myrtle Mae Crepe—a former teacher who’s very opinionated—and her friend, Sheriff Bill Dorman.

Jennifer Oberth

Ella Westin Mysteries.

Set in Maine in the early 1800s. The protagonist Ella, is a government agent. She works cases in spite of the help from her family members.

Her marriage to Joe Westin (also a government agent) brings her to live in the Westin mansion built by Joe’s pirate dad, Jaspar. Add in Joe’s thieving sister, Doris, and Ella’s friend, Annie and the cook—every character comes to life in this cozy series.

The plots are well-planned and clever, but humor drives the stories along with Ella’s sarcastic wit.

Carlene O’Connor

Irish Village Mysteries.

Set in a small village in County Cork, Ireland, Siobhan O’Sullivan runs the family pub and takes care of her five siblings. She should be heading off to college, but the death of their parents nixed that plan.

The author paints a picturesque Irish village with all the quirks and secrets of a small community. Love all the details and the characters.

N: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Shelley Noble

Lady Dunbridge Mysteries.

Philomena (Phil) Amesbury (Lady Dunbridge) is a widow turned sleuth in New York in the early 1900s.

Another fun romp in historical times. Her butler, Preswick and maid, Lily add to the ambiance.

M: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Alyssa Maxwell

A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mystery.

Set in England in the post World War I era. Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her maid, Eva Huntford are the protagonists. It’s a kind of ‘upstairs/downstairs’ situation and the period details are appealing. 

The Renshaws and their servants live on their beloved Foxwood Hall estate and murder abounds throughout the series.

The books alternate between Phoebe’s and Eva’s point of view. Charming, cozy, well done.

J.J. Murphy

Algonquin Round Table Mysteries.

I love this look at famous people from the Roaring 20s set in New York—a time when writers and editors were as famous as Broadway stars.

Murphy uses real people in his novels, starting with the protagonist, Dorothy Parker. She was well known for her wit and wisecracks and those characteristics flourish throughout the pages.

Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley and Robert Sherwood lunched at the Algonquin Hotel on a near-daily basis and became founding members of what became known as the Algonquin Round Table. Murphy uses this as his plot device.

Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle--all make appearances.

A fun, entertaining series.

L: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Kylie Logan

League of Literary Ladies series.

B & B proprietor Bea Cartwright (our protagonist) is thrown together with a hippy and a winery owner into a court-ordered library-book discussion group (what a great punishment!)

The titles are fun – they’re a play on words of well-known books (ex-Mayhem at the Orient Express, A Tale of Two Biddies, Gone With the Twins, etc) and the book is woven into that story’s plot.

And it's a refreshing twist as to why Bea left New York and settled on an island in Lake Erie.

Laura Levine

The Jaine Austen Mysteries are set in L.A.

Jaine is a freelance writer and usually makes ends meet by penning ads for her clients. She’s scraping by and lives with her cat, Prozac. Jaine constantly talks to the reader in a tongue-in-cheek manner. 

Clever plots and well-placed clues pair perfectly with the sarcasm and wit running throughout. Hilarious!

Catherine Lloyd

Kurland St. Mary Mysteries.

Another series set across the pond in England. These historical books take place in the early 1800s.

Lucy Harrington, the rector’s daughter, becomes a frequent visitor to Major Sir Robert Kurland, the lord of the manor (and the lands) who is recovering from injuries he received during the war.

The flavor of life in an old-time English village is delightful and watching the relationship develop between Lucy and Robert is enjoyable.

K: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Diane Kelly

Paw Enforcement Mysteries.

Police officer Megan Luz patrols Fort Worth with her K9 partner, Brigit. The point of view switches from the bad guy(s) to Megan and even to Brigit.

I love police dog books and this series comes through. Good solid plots and a lot of humor make them great reads.

Vaseem Khan

The Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation series is set in India.

Inspector Ashwin Chopra’s heart attack is the catalyst for his early retirement. But the man can’t sit still and let life pass by.

Take an honest man who is passionate about the many social ills of his country and pair him up with an intelligent baby elephant—Baby Ganesh—and the author has the makings of an extremely fun and entertaining series.

J: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

J.A.  Jance

A Brady Novel of Suspense series features Joanna Brady as a small town sheriff in Arizona.

She’s a young widow, raising a young daughter. She’s also the daughter of a sheriff and a strong-willed mother.

The books are heartwarming and show the working women’s juggling act.

Miranda  James

The Cat in the Stacks series feature Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel.

Charlie is a kind-hearted librarian and Diesel tags along wherever Charlie goes.

These books are a light read—warm and fuzzy throughout.

I: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Claude Izner

Victor Legris series.

Set in 1889 France, Victor is a bookseller who soon becomes involved in solving murder. The series is strongly based on history (more so than mystery), and the historical aspects are incredible.

The authors are two sisters who happen to be real-life booksellers on the banks of the Seine.

H: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Julie Hyzy

White House Chef Mysteries.

Our protagonist is Olivia Paras. Set in Washington D.C.’s White House, Ollie is a White House Assistant Chef with aspirations to become the Executive Chef. When she witnesses a murder, the race is on.

A grand series with intrigue and timely topics that provides insight into the affairs of the White House, complete with Ollie’s Secret Service boyfriend.

Joan Hess

Hess wrote two series I love.

The Claire Malloy Mysteries feature a bookstore owner in a small college town with a teenage daughter (who speaks in CAPITAL LETTERS) and a detective boyfriend. Sharp wit and clever plots make these novels shine.

The Arly Hanks Mysteries. Arly is recuperating from a failed marriage back in her Arkansas hometown as Maggody’s sheriff. These novels include a wide variety of bumbling, ridiculous residents and Hess’ wit is unsurpassable.

MaddyHunter

The Passport to Peril Mysteries feature Emily Andrew, who escorts tours for seniors from her Iowa hometown.

The novels are set in fabulous locations (France, Alaska, Switzerland, etc—armchair travel at its best) and the characters and the situations they get into are a hoot!

My personal favorite character is Jackie, Emily’s ex-husband. (If you read the books, you'll know why!)

Elena Hartwell

The Eddie Shoes Mysteries. Edwina Schultz (Eddie Shoes) is a private investigator in Washington.

Her mother, Chava, had Eddie when she was sixteen. Chava has a history of card counting in casinos and Eddie’s father is mob-connected.

It’s a wild ride with Eddie and her family as they investigate crime.

G: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Erle  Stanley Gardner

Perry Mason rocks.

Erle Stanley Gardner was a voracious writer. A retired attorney, he devoted a tremendous amount of time to “The Court of Last Resort” along with many friends from the forensic, legal and investigative fields. The Court reviewed and reversed miscarriages of justice against criminal defendants. Erle's specialty was litigation and the development of trial strategy.

The Mason books are intriguing courtroom dramas. Long live Perry Mason.

Eva  Gates

Lighthouse Library series. Her series is set in the Outer Banks (North Carolina) and the library is situated in a lighthouse. Two of my favorite things! Amusing characters and good plots.

Delores  Gordon-Smith

Author of the Jack Haldean Murder Mysteries.

Another series set in England in the 1920s. Jack Haldean is a crime writer and a former Royal Flying Corps pilot who gets involved with murder.

Interesting time period and Jack’s a likeable bloke.

F: EVERYTHING AUTHOR FROM A – Z

Monica Ferris

Needlecraft Mystery series.

Betty Devonshire travels to Excelsior, Minnesota to visit her sister, Margot. All is well—until it isn’t.

In the first book, Betty has to solve Margot’s murder. Inheriting her sister’s needlecraft shop, Betty becomes immersed in murder after murder throughout the 19 book series.

And the novels always include a pattern for some needlework project.

Dick Francis

This author was a famous British steeple chase jockey who gained further prominence riding for the Queen Mother. After he retired, he wrote a series of books all revolving around racing. Most of the novels are stand-alones, but the protagonist is always involved in some way with the horse racing world.

After the death of his wife, Mary (who co-authored the books, but got no credit), his son, Felix co-authored their novels (he got his name on the books). After Dick’s death, Felix continued the writing (with his father’s name in the titles).

These novels give the reader a fascinating insight into the racing world.

Kay Finch

Bad Luck Cat Mysteries. Protagonist Sabrina Tate and her black cat, Hitchcock, solve mysteries. Hitchcock is a great, little sleuth and the series is entertaining.