The Shadow of Daph


Book Description

One missing body. Two poisoned people. Three curious crimes. The forest town of Shady Bend is known for its crafts, preserves, and local produce. It is not known for disappearing bodies let alone a mysterious spate of crimes! Daphne came to officiate a funeral for Edwina Drinkwater but in a shocking twist, the deceased vanishes before making it to the grave. The sudden death of a mourner - a gossip who kept records of other people's indiscretions fires up Daphne's inner sleuth. Was the murder payback? Meanwhile, John pursues his own secrets mission to find someone special from Daphne's past. Who has hidden Edwina’s remains? Was it the neighbour who wants her land, the disgraced local doctor, or her fiercest competitor in the world of preserves and jams? With judging underway at the local country show, the suspects come together all determined to obtain Edwina’s famous secret sauce recipe. But as the body count rises, Daphne is the only person standing between the killer and the truth. The Shadow of Daph is book 2 in the Daphne Jones Mysteries, with a fun and quirky look at Australian agricultural shows and small town life. A light and quirky story with a nosy main character.




Time of Daph


Book Description

Daphne Jones loves a romance and nothing makes her heart happier more than officiating a wedding. A remote park in a valley in the majestic Otway Ranges is the perfect setting for her clients to say, "I do". And even better is the prospect of spending the first night ever camping in their new caravan with her husband, John. But not everyone is there to celebrate with the newlyweds. After an unpleasant altercation during the reception, someone is found dead in the camping ground where all the guests are staying. And John is the prime suspect. Determined to prove his innocence and alarmed that the real killer is still out there, Daphne grabs her notebook and begins her own investigation. But the killer is among them and following her suspect is about to land her in a whole lot of trouble. The Daphne Jones Mysteries are later in life camping cozies with a travelling wedding officiant and a regional, small-town Aussie twist. A light and quirky story with a nosy main character. Time of Daph fits between Daph on the Beach and Till Daph Do Us Part but can be read on its own.




Tales of Life and Daph


Book Description

A retreat in the mountains sounds perfect with spa treatments for Daphne and fishing for John. Until a killer strikes... Daphne Jones is invited to an exclusive conference in the high country in Victoria. The annual meeting of wedding officiants is her first and she's excited to attend sessions with her peers. In between a bit of spoiling, of course. Within hours of John leaving for an overnight camping trip to the best fishing river in the region, Daphne is knee-deep in a fountain full of puzzles in the middle of the night. Literally. Was there really a body in the water feature or is this an elaborate hoax? A note arrives with a terrible warning. Murder is on the menu at the banquet. But who is the target? People are quick to point fingers at Daphne whose sleuthing reputation preceded her. She suspects there is a whole lot more going on in this Bridgerton-style hotel and between power outages, planted evidence, and lost diamonds, closes in on the killer. Until the only way down the mountain is blocked. Book three in the Daphne Jones Mysteries puts Daphne in the middle of someone's dangerous game and it might take more than her homemade cookies to get her out of this alive. A light and quirky story with a nosy main character.




Daph on the Beach


Book Description

There's a wedding around the corner, until Randall sniffs out a body in the sea... The last thing Daphne Jones expects to see as she stands on Rivers End jetty, practicing the ceremony for a wedding, is a body floating by. Suspicion falls on her friend Christie when the deceased is identified as an ex-employee, a woman who left under a cloud. Nobody who knows Christie believes she's responsible - except the police. Roping in best friend, Elizabeth, Daphne sets out to run her own investigation. Why was the deceased dressed in winter clothing on a summer's day? And why had she begged Christie to meet her late at night? With the police about to arrest Christie, Daphne races to find evidence to exonerate her, as well as lead to the real killer. Will the wedding be postponed and the wrong person arrested? Not if Daphne can solve the puzzle in time.




Till Daph Do Us Part


Book Description

One wedding. Two feuding families. Three sneaky suspects. Daphne Jones has travelled with her cute-as-a-button camper Bluebell to the outback town of Little Bridges to officiate a wedding at a beautiful rural home. Such a perfect setting. But not so perfect people are determined to stop the union and before the day is done, a member of the bridal party ends up face down in the swimming pool. She's no detective nor a spring chicken, but Daphne does love a puzzle and her gut tells her this was no accident. Amid old family feuds, resentful relatives, and missing money, there are plenty of suspects, and none of them appreciates Daphne snooping in their business, but with a heart of gold and a way with words, this celebrant sleuth is not giving up. Unless the killer finds her first... The Daphne Jones Mysteries are later in life camping cozies with a travelling wedding officiant and a regional, small-town Aussie twist. A light and quirky story with a nosy main character.







Cold Case Murder in Kingfisher Falls


Book Description

Hidden in a trunk was a new wedding dress, unworn baby clothes, and a teddy bear... Charlotte's first winter in Kingfisher Falls should be filled with crackling fireplaces, hearty soups, and brisk walks to the waterfalls. Instead, she discovers what looks like an old grave in the bushland behind her apartment. Could this be the resting place of a young woman who ran away from home years ago? When a new clairvoyant sets up shop in town, Rosie is excited to have a reading. Charlotte is uneasy about the motives of the stranger, who seems to know an awful lot about Charlotte's past. And why is she determined to spend time with Rosie? A trunk hidden in the back of Charlotte's garage by past residents might hold clues to finding the runaway. But will Charlotte's investigation - against her police officer boyfriend's wishes - solve the sad mystery, or put her directly in the sights of the killer? Important Note: This books was originally published with the title Deadly Secrets.




The Shadow Prince


Book Description

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race. Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High's prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father's mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn't the only student in Olympus who doesn't quite belong. Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers' lives collide. But Daphne won't be wooed easily, and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he's fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds. A pulsating romance of epic proportions, Bree Despain's The Shadow Prince will leave her fans breathless for the next book in the Into The Dark series.




The Shadow of Kilimanjaro


Book Description

Chronicles a journey by foot across East Africa, and depicts the vanishing animals of a rapidly vanishing world.




Daph and Ern’s Adventures Finding Yourself on the Road


Book Description

Travelling Australia in a vintage Volkswagen Kombi van with a cranky old couple changes your life (and could change the world) for the better. This is a hybrid book of standalone funny stories of life on the road in a campervan, interlaced with a journey of self-reflection and discovery. The journey leads to eight simple steps of self-change that can have dramatic positive effects on your life: and the world! It concludes with an experiment to prove that individual happiness can have collective consequences. This book aims to entice the unsuspecting spiritual rookie, under the guise of a light-hearted read, shrewdly planting the seed for personal growth along the way. Read, laugh, learn, and grow. Let’s change the world for the better, one person at a time.