The Reluctant Coroner


Book Description

Enjoy this free hardboiled coroner series starter by USA TODAY bestselling mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin "Think Sue Grafton and Janet Evanovich, but with darker twists and more biting social commentary. A five-star thriller!" —John Ling, USA Today Bestselling Author Blood is thicker than oil—until murder is involved. Fenway Stevenson doesn't want to return to the coastal town where her estranged father is practically king. But the death of her mother draws her back home—and the murder of the county coroner draws her into a deepening conspiracy. As the body count rises and all signs seem to point toward her father's oil company, will Fenway uncover the truth before family bonds become deadly? ----------- The Reluctant Coroner is the first novel in the acclaimed hard boiled Fenway Stevenson Mystery series, ideal for fans of LJ Ross, Anne Shilolo, Willow Rose, and Blake Banner. KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, biracial female coroner investigator, medical examiner thriller, former nurse solves murders, estranged father, hard boiled mystery, Santa Barbara mystery.




The Christopher Killer


Book Description

On the payroll as an assistant to her coroner father, seventeen-year-old Cameryn Mahoney uses her knowledge of forensic medicine to catch the killer of a friend while putting herself in terrible danger.




The Coroner


Book Description

Now a major television series on All4 and CBC, The Coroner is the first gripping installment in Matthew Hall's twice CWA Gold Dagger nominated Coroner Jenny Cooper series. Death is her living . . . When lawyer Jenny Cooper is appointed Severn Vale District Coroner, she’s hoping for a quiet life and space to recover from a traumatic divorce, but the office she inherits from the recently deceased Harry Marshall contains neglected files hiding dark secrets and a trail of buried evidence. Could the tragic death in custody of a young boy be linked to the apparent suicide of a teenage prostitute and the fate of Marshall himself? Jenny’s curiosity is aroused. Why was Marshall behaving so strangely before he died? What injustice was he planning to uncover? And what caused his abrupt change of heart? In the face of powerful and sinister forces determined to keep both the truth hidden and the troublesome coroner in check, Jenny embarks on a lonely and dangerous one-woman crusade for justice which threatens not only her career but also her sanity. The Coroner is followed by the second book in the Coroner Jenny Cooper series, The Disappeared. The Jenny Cooper novels have been adapted into a hit TV series, Coroner, made for All4, CBC and NBC Universal starring Serinda Swan and Roger Cross.




The Coroner's Lunch


Book Description

ALL-TIME BESTSELLER: The first “wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery” starring septuagenarian coroner Dr. Siri, who finds himself caught in the political intrigues and mystical underpinnings of 1970s Laos (New York Times Book Review). Laos, 1978: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has unwillingly been appointed the national coroner of the new socialist Laos. His lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky, to say the least. But Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often-frustrating days. When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead.




The Watchful Coroner


Book Description

Enjoy this pulse-pounding hard-boiled novel from USA TODAY bestselling mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin "A taut, compelling mystery with a likeable, feisty protagonist. I devoured it." --Ian W. Sainsbury, winner of the 2019 Kindle Storyteller Award "This is as good a mystery series as you will find in print. You do not want to miss a single one of these books." --David Marvin, Scintilla Book Reviews (scintilla.info) A murder in the city’s most exclusive hotel. The main suspect? Her boyfriend’s ex-wife. There’s another killing in the cozy beach town of Estancia. This time, Coroner Fenway Stevenson needs to solve the murder of one of the most prominent businessmen in town. But everyone has ulterior motives. The new mayor is pressuring her to make a quick arrest. Is he eager for justice or does he have something to hide? Fenway’s relationship with her boyfriend is strained when the investigation threatens to unearth a terrible secret and tear his family apart. Her father lies comatose after being shot by a bullet meant for Fenway. His company is on the brink of disaster. The investigation quickly turns into a political and personal battleground. Her friends, colleagues, and family get caught in the web of complicated relationships and contradictory evidence—and as the mayor turns the screws on Fenway, her emotions reach the boiling point. When the main suspect's alibi changes, Fenway knows something isn't right. Is she trying to hide a bigger secret or is she playing a more nefarious game? Will Fenway arrest an innocent woman to save herself? Can she uncover the truth before it’s too late? ---------------- Grab your copy of the sixth book in this bestselling hard-boiled mystery series today! "The Watchful Coroner will captivate readers from the first page." —C.B. Samet, EVVY Award-Winning Author "With characters you love to hate, complex relationships, and a compelling central mystery, you won't be able to put The Watchful Coroner down. Ardoin's most polished work to date delivers an ending that's both touching and laugh-out-loud. A joy to read from start to finish."--Jamie Thornton, New York Times Bestselling Author KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, biracial female coroner investigator, medical examiner thriller, hotel murder, private investigator sleuth, former nurse solves murders, estranged father, hard boiled mystery, strong Black woman sleuth, interracial romance mystery, BWWM detective romance, California beach black detective mystery whodunit crime fiction, Santa Barbara mystery, similar author to Leslie Wolfe, LJ Ross, Willow Rose, Blake Banner, Tom Fowler, Jeff Carson, TJ Jones




Love Songs from a Shallow Grave


Book Description

The seventh Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery When a Lao female security officer is discovered stabbed through the heart with a fencing sword, Dr. Siri, the reluctant national coroner for the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos, is brought in to examine the body. Soon two other young women are found killed in the same unusual way. Siri learns that all three victims studied in Europe and that one of them was being pursued by a mysterious stalker. But before he can solve the case, he is whisked away to Cambodia on a diplomatic mission. Though on the surface the Khmer Rouge seem to be committed to the socialist cause, Siri soon learns the horrifying truth of the killing fields and finds himself thrown into prison. Can the seventy-four-year-old doctor escape with his life?




The Angel of Death


Book Description

Seventeen-year-old high school senior Cameryn Mahoney uses skills learned as assistant to her coroner father to try to unravel the mystery of a local teacher's gruesome death, while also awaiting a possible reunion with her long-missing mother.




Harbinger of the Storm


Book Description

The second book in the critically acclaimed Obsidian and Blood trilogy: The year is Two House, and the Emperor of the Mexica has just died. The protections he afforded the Empire are crumbling, and the way lies wide open to the flesh-eating star-demons--and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the War God's power. The council should convene to choose a new Emperor, but they are too busy plotting against each other. And then someone starts summoning star-demons within the palace, to kill councilmen... Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, must find the culprit before everything is torn apart. REVIEWS: ‘Political intrigue and rivalry among a complex pantheon of divinities drive this well-paced murder mystery set at the height of the Aztec Empire in the late 15th century. De Bodard reintroduces the series hero Acatl, high priest of the dead, immediately following the death of the Tenochtitlan leader. One of the council members in charge of choosing a successor has been brutally murdered in what looks like an attempt to influence the decision. But the deaths continue and the political situation grows more complex, while the empire looks to be increasingly at risk of invasion by malignant powers. Acatl must go face-to-face with the most powerful god in his world and put the good of the empire above his antipathy for is rivals to achieve the uneasy succession. De Bodard incorporates historical fact with great ease and manages the rare feat of explaining complex culture and political system without lecturing or boring the reader.’ —Publishers Weekly ‘Another thing that intrigues me here is the whole fact that historically we know that the real empire died out mysteriously and completely and as such there is always that thought in the back of my mind that the author could choose to bring about the end of days. That highlighted sense of possible doom is something that is missing from too many novels. The way the story is told in this book is very impressive, the plot is both mature and seductive, twisting and turning like a weather vane in a force 9 gale while the action is both bloodthirsty and imaginative. The world building is fantastic and we get to learn even more of this rich culture and the many gods and creatures of the dark. I really can’t fault this book at all and recommend it to one and all but if you haven’t yet read Servant of the Underworld I suggest that you get them both and read them in order, you won’t be disappointed.’ —SF Book Reviews ‘Bodard’s writing is polished and striking, as she convincingly fills in the colorful elements of the Aztec culture–even if those colors tend to be of blood and bile as well as flowers and hummingbirds... beautiful, grimy, breathtaking, and morbid. 5*’ —Examiner ‘Aliette de Bodard has done it again. Harbinger of the Storm is an action packed Aztec mystery opera with magic, interventions from the gods and more twists and turns than the first book. It even has a love story with amusing snippets here and there... The story is self contained and can be enjoyed standalone, but you will not want to miss out on the first. I wish it was 2012 already even if the world is going under while I read the final Obsidian & Blood.’ —Cybermage




The Incumbent Coroner


Book Description

Enjoy this edge-of-your-seat hardboiled thriller from USA TODAY bestselling mystery author Paul Austin Ardoin "If you love page-turning, unputdownable mysteries, then Ardoin is the real deal." --Mark Stay, host of The Bestseller Experiment podcast A beloved mayor. A seedy motel room. One baffling murder. The bizarre circumstances of Fenway Stevenson’s latest case as county coroner drag her to the center of one very dangerous game. With one suspect in custody, an attempt on the life of the key witness leads to her disappearance and more unanswered questions. Fenway must race to solve the mystery before anyone else dies while also juggling an upcoming election and her overbearing father’s meddling. As summer temperatures rise, so do the stakes. What will Fenway have to sacrifice to ensure the safety of everyone in her idyllic coastal town? ------------ The Incumbent Coroner is the bestselling follow-up to The Reluctant Coroner, the first Fenway Stevenson mystery, full of twists and turns. "With murder, mayhem, kidnappings, crooked businessmen, and conspiracies, this book has a lot to love." --C.B. Samet, Evvy Award Winner, author of the Dr. Whyte Adventure Series For fansideal for fans of LJ Ross, Anne Shilolo, Willow Rose, and Blake Banner. KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, biracial female coroner investigator, medical examiner thriller, former nurse solves murders, estranged father, hard boiled mystery, Santa Barbara mystery, brozy, political thriller, conspiracy murder, Santa Barbara crime fiction.




The Clandestine Coroner


Book Description

Enjoy this edge-of-your-seat hardboiled mystery novella from USA TODAY Bestselling author Paul Austin Ardoin—the long-awaited next book in the bestselling Fenway Stevenson series! A secret society. A missing body. A town torn in two. This story takes place between the events of The Accused Coroner (Book Seven of The Fenway Stevenson Mysteries) and The Offside Coroner (Book Eight). When a member of a secret society is found dead in the local temple, Coroner Fenway Stevenson finds herself embroiled in an underground world where no one plays by the rules. The society leader turns hostile, the dead body goes missing, and an embezzlement scheme threatens disaster for the local economy. Can Fenway find allies to uncover the truth before the killer gets away? ____________ "Curl up in your favorite chair with a cup of joe, because you won’t be able to stop reading this fast-paced, clever murder mystery." —C.B. Samet, bestselling author of The Dr. Lillian Whyte Adventures "A brilliant whodunit with plenty of twists—and a great cast of characters that made me want to read the whole series!" —Angela C. Nurse, author of The Rowan MacFarlane Mysteries KEYWORDS: California beach town murder, female coroner, medical examiner, medical thriller, former nurse solves murders, secret society mystery, hard boiled mystery, strong woman sleuth, interracial romance mystery, medical thriller, conspiracy murder, Santa Barbara crime fiction, similar author to Leslie Wolfe, LJ Ross, Willow Rose, Blake Banner, Tom Fowler, Jeff Carson, TJ Jones