The Amanda Pepper Mysteries, Bundle #3


Book Description

Three tales of murder in Philadelphia featuring the English teacher and amateur sleuth by the award-winning “Dorothy Parker of mystery writers” (Nancy Pickard, author of the Jenny Cain series). The Mummer’s Curse “Philadelphia’s New Year’s Day Mummers’ Parade, a splashy, fiercely competitive affair, turns murderous” when a parade clown is shot dead and one of Amanda’s Philly Prep colleagues is suspected “in yet another funny Philly puzzler for schoolteacher Amanda Pepper” (Publishers Weekly). The Bluest Blood Amanda looks forward to an ultra-elegant fundraiser in a fabled Main Line mansion to benefit Philly Prep’s library. But the fairytale evening takes a dark turn thanks to a protest group vehemently opposing any books that “pollute the mind.” When the conflict becomes deadly, Amanda takes “another swift and intriguing spin through the sometimes murderous precincts of Philadelphia” (Publishers Weekly). Adam & Evil When a high school senior shows signs of mental illness, Amanda attempts to get him help, but she’s rebuffed by his parents. Then, when the same boy becomes the prime suspect in a murder at the Philadelphia Main Library—and runs away—Amanda has no choice but to run after him. Even if it means running headlong into a killer’s path. Adam & Evil includes a new introduction from author Gillian Roberts and an exclusive interview with Amanda Pepper herself!




The Amanda Pepper Mysteries, Bundle #1


Book Description

Philadelphia spells danger for an English teacher turned amateur sleuth in the first three novels of this Anthony Award–winning mystery series. Caught Dead in Philadelphia When Philly Prep English teacher Amanda Pepper finds a murdered colleague in her living room, she needs to clear her name—while trying not to become the next victim. But the only clue to the real killer’s identity is a Winnie-the-Pooh locket. Good thing handsome homicide detective C.K. Mackenzie is on her side. Philly Stakes When Amanda tries to get her students in the Christmas spirit by serving a meal for the homeless, the plan fatally backfires. Alexander “Sandy” Clausen, a politically ambitious parent, turns the event into a lavishly catered photo-op. But when Sandy is killed and his troubled daughter confesses, Amanda gets wrapped up in the investigation with her sometime boyfriend, Det. C.K. Mackenzie. I’d Rather Be in Philadelphia Amanda is sorting through donated books when she comes across a note that reads like an anonymous cry for help. Desperately searching for the troubled woman, Amanda locates her just in time to find the woman’s husband murdered. With the woman wrongly suspected, it’s up to Amanda and Det. C.K. MacKenzie to see the real killer get booked. “[Roberts is] the Dorothy Parker of mystery writers . . . giving more wit per page than most writers give per book.” —Nancy Pickard, award-winning author of the Jenny Cain series




Whatever Doesn't Kill You


Book Description

Single mother Billie August is frustrated with her boss and sleuthing mentor, the gruff, perpetually dissatisfied Emma Howe. So far, their relationship has been a personal and professional disaster. To top it off, Billie seems like the only person in town who thinks mentally disabled Gavin Riddock, accused of killing his only friend, might not be guilty, but her inability to turn up any hard evidence could cost Gavin everything. Now, illness at home and dead ends at work have frayed Billie’s nerves. The last thing she needs is to come across Emma Howe in the warpath. Meanwhile, Emma’s search for one girl’s real mother is being foiled at every turn by the lies and misdirection of the girl’s foster mother. When new clues suggest the case may have something to do with Gavin Riddock, seasoned Emma will have to learn to trust her young assistant, and together, mentor and protege must unravel the layers of posh Marin society to uncover the startling truth...




Killer Fashion Humorous Mysteries: Box Set Bundle 1


Book Description

Enjoy this box set bundle of the first three humorous cozy Killer Fashion mysteries with an amateur sleuth, fair-play whodunit puzzle plots, and romcom elements by national bestselling author Diane Vallere. Meet Samantha Kidd as she trades high fashion for dirty laundry and learns a great wardrobe isn't enough to turn her life around, let alone catch a killer. DESIGNER DIRTY LAUNDRY: She expected the fashion industry to be ruthless. She wasn't prepared for it to turn deadly. Ready to redesign her life, style expert Samantha Kidd accepts a job in her Pennsylvania hometown as a trend specialist. But her first day goes completely A-line when she stumbles across her legendary boss dead in the elevator. And after the body disappears, she can't help but pull on the mystery's thread and unravel an entire wardrobe of suspects. Supervising her deceased employer's vogue competition, Samantha tries to hem in a sexy shoe designer and countless ego-driven creatives to stitch together the clues. But when her own name appears on the police's suspect list, the sleuthing fashionista's days on the catwalk could be numbered. Can Samantha put a killer in the spotlight before she's sewn up for a crime she didn't commit? BUYER BEWARE She needs a paycheck. A murder creates the perfect job. Can she avoid becoming the next victim? Samantha Kidd recently added an unexpected skill to her fashion-heavy resume: solving a crime. But amateur sleuthing doesn’t pay the bills. A new retailer shows interest in hiring her as their handbag buyer, but there’s one big red flag: the last buyer was killed on the job. Moving back to her old hometown was about leaving that career path behind, but Samantha’s out of options. When another person at the store is murdered, the walls close in like a snug, satin lining. Can Samantha get a handle on an inside job without getting caught in the killer’s clutches? THE BRIM REAPER Amateur Sleuth Samantha Kidd is in over her head. With no job prospects on the horizon, former fashion buyer Samantha Kidd convinces boyfriend and shoe designer Nick Taylor to give her a job. But when close friend Eddie asks for help with an exhibit of vintage Hollywood costumes, she splits her time between romance and comedy--until a dead man claims all of her attention. Brimming with good intentions, she leaves the investigation to the cops, but the killer keeps Eddie in the crosshairs. If Samantha can tear the lid off the investigation, it might mean a feather in her fedora. And if she can't? Her best friend might get capped. For fans of Gina Lamanna, Margaret Lashley, and Jess Lourey, this box set bundle kicks off the Killer Fashion Mystery series. Discover amateur detective Samantha Kidd’s first days in her new hometown as she battles accusations of murder and persistent mortgage company employees, and then follow her right into book 2 and three where she attempts to figure out whether this whole fresh start idea was worth it. If you like amateur sleuths, mysteries with a healthy dose of humor, and fair-play whodunits, then you’ll love the Killer Fashion Humorous Mysteries.




Bundle of Trouble


Book Description

"Cigars all around"( LOUISE URE, SHAMUS AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR) for the new Maternal Instincts mystery series. First-time mom Kate Connelly is bringing up baby- and bringing down a killer. Kate Connelly may have found the perfect work-from-home Mommy job: private investigator. After all, the hours are flexible, she can bring the baby along on stake-outs, and if you're going to be up all night anyway, you might as well solve some crimes. But when a body is pulled from San Francisco Bay that may be her brother-in-law, Kate must crack the case faster than you can say "diaper rash" in order to keep her family together.




Three Times Lucky


Book Description

Newbery honor winner, New York Times bestseller, Edgar Award Finalist, and E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor book. A hilarious Southern debut with the kind of characters you meet once in a lifetime Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel--a café owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known. Full of wisdom, humor, and grit, this timeless yarn will melt the heart of even the sternest Yankee.




Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two


Book Description

Nightshift clerk and high-functioning insomniac Jack is back to work, trying his best to keep out of trouble. But when his chain-smoking coworker discovers a mysterious radio signal revealing the guarded secrets of their town, Jack will learn that an annoying new dayshift manager is far from the worst of his problems. In this second installment of the Gas Station saga, Jack finds himself entangled in his most harrowing adventure yet. With the newest crew of coworkers along for the ride and the resident psychopath out for his blood, our hero(?) must navigate the drama of small-town murder conspiracies, vigilante justice, and demonic summoning rituals...whether he wants to or not.




Wisteria Wyverns


Book Description

Zara Riddle went out for ice cream and ran into her mother, who was last seen... dead. But the woman is not a ghost. She's flesh and blood, and ready to pick up their relationship right where they left it. Zara is catching up with her mother at Castle Wyvern when a new ghost and a dead body turn up. The victim is someone Zara has tangled with before. All signs point to a supernatural killer. An old enemy is back to settle the score. Now Zara is racing against time to solve her biggest mystery yet. She must survive the lies, backstabbing, and betrayal, so she can face the one person from her past who's hurt her the most. There will be pain, and there will be payback.




Butter Witch


Book Description

The International Butter Festival has come to town! When Harlow Torrent, part-time journalist and full-time Slip witch stumbles upon a dead body, frozen and drained of blood, she's pulled into a murder mystery. Someone has murdered one of the Butter Festival competitors. Was it Zero Bend, punk sculptor extraordinaire with a history of violence? Perhaps Fusion Swan, a sleazy agent playing the publicity game when his clients meet their untimely end. Between trying to run her struggling online newspaper, dealing with her highly caffeinated cousins Molly and Luce, fending off three meddling witch mothers who will do anything to get their daughters married off (including drugging food with magic potions) and great Aunt Cass who appears to be running an underground laboratory of some kind, Harlow barely has time to breathe, let alone solve a murder. Romance certainly isn't on the cards either but the hot scruffy guy new to town seems to have other ideas...




Helen Hath No Fury


Book Description

In the stately nineteenth-century homes on Philadelphia's Delancey Street, the wilder passions scarcely ruffle the peace. Murder is unthinkable, particularly a murder involving an upscale book discussion group, of which schoolteacher Amanda Pepper is a devoted member. Nevertheless, on the day after a heated discussion of a fictional heroine's suicide, book group member Helen Coulter falls to her death from her roof garden. Helen's death is declared a suicide but Amanda is convinced otherwise. Why is this admirable woman dead? And if she was killed, who performed the heinous act? Amanda's investigations will draw her into a zone of great danger, where Helen Coulter's ice-hearted killer is once more ready to strike. . . .