Sleuthing for a Living


Book Description

From the #1 cozy mystery bestselling author of The Southern Pasta Shop Mysteries comes a new series that proves blood can be thicker than water... As a young single parent, Mackenzie Elizabeth Taylor has struggled to provide for her teenage daughter. She finally catches a break when she inherits half of an apartment building in Boston from her uncle Al...along with his P.I. business. So what if she doesn’t know the first thing about investigation or if their hot-but-crabby downstairs tenant is a police detective who’s looking for any excuse to handcuff her? Her daughter, Mac the computer whiz, has her back. And these two girls don’t know the meaning of the word quit—not even when their first case takes an unexpected turn. The man Mackenzie's been hired to follow in a custody case seems to have upset more than just her client when she spies another person tailing him—a mysterious man Mackenzie would bet is up to no good. But when her mark suddenly winds up dead, and her first and only client is accused of his murder, Mackenzie vows to find the truth. Only one problem: she doesn’t know where to start…or when to draw the line. Who is the mysterious man she spotted tailing the victim? Is he the killer? Is she in over her head, or will she uncover the secrets someone killed to keep hidden? Mackenzie and Mackenzie are on the case, and the world of private investigation will never be the same. What critics are saying about Jennifer L. Hart's books: "A must read for all people who love a good mystery and a jolly good laugh...laugh out loud funny." ~ Black Orchid, Cocktail Reviews Jennifer L. Hart introduces a deliciously delightful new amateur sleuth with this cozy mystery. The mystery had just the right amount of ups and downs and I found it as entertaining as the reluctant detective herself." ~ Night Owl Reviews "Laugh out loud funny, realistic characters, snappy true to life dialog, and a sufficiently difficult mystery; all the required elements for an excellent read." ~ Manic Readers "I would not hesitate to pick up another of Ms. Hart's works as she definitely made me with one book a lifelong fan." ~ Joyfully Reviewed




The Supernormal Sleuthing Service #2: The Sphinx's Secret


Book Description

The action-packed sequel to The Lost Legacy, which Booklist called “Monstrous fun!” Living in a hotel full of monsters isn’t always easy, especially when all the adults have fallen under an evil spell! Stephen and his friends have three days to undo a sorcerer’s magic before the spell becomes permanent and their parents are cursed forever. Hotel Transylvania meets Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. It’s only been a few weeks since Stephen started living in the New Harmonia—a hotel that caters to a supernormal clientele, including bigfeet, vampires, dragons, and talking gargoyles—and he still has a lot to learn. His latest discovery? The lions at the New York Public Library are actually sphinxes, guarding a secret underground collection of magical artifacts. But just as Stephen makes this discovery, a mysterious warlock named Edmund the Enchanter turns the sphinxes to stone and steals a powerful wand from the library’s collection. With the wand, Edmund could take control of the entire supernormal world. Stephen and his two best friends, Sofia and Ivan, have only three days to thwart Edmund’s evil intentions. The Sphinx’s Secret is an adventure-filled monstrous romp with a time-travel twist. This inventive and accessible mystery-adventure is full of friendship, humor, and a curious cast of characters perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series. Features black-and-white art by Glenn Thomas throughout.




Sleuthing C.S. Lewis


Book Description

Finally, the scandal of the Chronicles of Narnia may be the biggest and most misleading of all. Rearranging the order of the books against Lewis's wishes is just a minor part of the problem.".




Senior Sleuths


Book Description

Senior citizen sleuths prove that wisdom and aging go hand in hand in a collection of mystery tales by Agatha Christie, Lilian Jackson Braun, Loren D. Estleman, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Hugh Pentecost, Michael Gilbert, and other notable writers. Original.




The Supernormal Sleuthing Service #1: The Lost Legacy


Book Description

“Monstrous fun!”—Booklist Three kids. A hotel full of monsters. And a stolen magical artifact that could disrupt the balance between the humans and the supernatural. Welcome to life at Hotel Monster! Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library meets Hotel Transylvania in the first book of this hilarious and spooky new series that blends mystery with monsters. Stephen’s dad has moved their two-person family across the country to New York City, where he is taking over as head chef in an exclusive hotel. A hotel that has the most elite of clientele: monsters (though they prefer to be called supernormals). Surprise! And an even bigger surprise? Stephen is part supernormal himself. When a magical family heirloom is stolen and Stephen is framed, he must work with two new friends to navigate this whole new world and clear his name. After all, consequences can be dire in the world of monsters. Spooky, funny, and full of monstrous hijinks, The Lost Legacy is an inventive and accessible mystery-adventure full of friendship and humor—perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and R. L. Stine’s Goosebumps series.




Brother Cadfael's Penance


Book Description

The cloistered walls of Shrewsbury Abbey have always protected Brother Cadfael from the raging Civil War. But when fighting escalates between Empress Maud and King Stephen, the war takes a deadly step closer to him. Taken prisoner in the battle for Maud's land is Olivier de Bretagne, Brother Cadfael's own son- born as a result of a brief encouter thirty years earlier. Now Brother Cadfael resolves to plead for his son's release at a peace conference scheduled to take place in Coventry; but there is no sign of Olivier there. After much soul searching, Cadfael makes the difficult decision to break his monastic vows, leaving Coventry without permission- because he knows he must do everything in his power to find his son.




Pepper's Rules for Secret Sleuthing


Book Description

Nancy Drew meets Harriet the Spy in this action-packed and heartfelt debut middle grade following an overzealous amateur sleuth as she investigates a shocking family secret—and unravels the mystery of her developing feelings for girls. Rule One: Your loyalty is to the case. Amateur detective Pepper Blouse has always held true to this rule, even if it meant pushing people away. But when the results of Pepper’s latest case cost her any hope of the girl she likes returning her feelings, she decides that maybe she should lay low for a while. That is, until her Great Aunt Florence passes away under mysterious circumstances. And even though her dad insists there’s nothing to investigate, Pepper can’t just ignore rule fourteen: Trust your gut. But there’s nothing in the rulebook that could’ve prepared her for the family secrets her investigation uncovers. Maybe it’s time to stop playing by the rules.




The Secret of the Yellow Death


Book Description

“Extremely interesting . . . Young people interested in medicine or scientific discovery will find this book engrossing, as will history students” (School Library Journal). [He had] a fever that hovered around 104 degrees. His skin turned yellow. The whites of his eyes looked like lemons. Nauseated, he gagged and threw up again and again . . . Here is the true story of how four Americans and one Cuban tracked down a killer, one of the word’s most vicious plagues: yellow fever. Journeying to fever-stricken Cuba in the company of Walter Reed and his colleagues, the reader feels the heavy air, smells the stench of disease, hears the whine of mosquitoes biting human volunteers during surreal experiments. Exploring themes of courage, cooperation, and the ethics of human experimentation, this gripping account is ultimately a story of the triumph of science. “[A] powerful exploration of a disease that killed 100,000 U.S. citizens in the 1800s.” —Kirkus Reviews Includes photos




Aven Green Sleuthing Machine


Book Description

Third-grader Aven Green has been solving mysteries for a really long time—a whole month! She’s solved many important cases like The Mystery of the Cranky Mom, The Mystery of the Missing Ice Cream, and The Mystery of the Smelly Feet. Her record is nearly 100% (only The Mystery of the Cereal in My Underpants remains unsolved to this day). Aven asks all the right questions, wields her detective kit carefully, and follows up on every clue. Then her teacher’s lunch bag (with her lunch still in it) is taken and Aven’s great-grandma’s beloved dog goes missing! Can this perceptive detective crack two cases at the same time? Luckily, Aven has a super-powered brain full of lots of extra brain cells to take on both cases. See, she was born without arms, so all of the cells that were supposed to make her arms went into making her brain instead. At least that’s her working theory for The Mystery of Why I Have So Many Extra Brain Cells.