Kerrelyn Sparks

Cait London

Suzanne Macpherson

Lori Avocato

Mary Daheim

Dana Cameron

Sugarplums and Scandal

Newly arrived in a small Washington town, publisher-editor Emma Lord must solve the murder of Mark Doukas, the grandson of rich, old Neeny Doukas, whose only other grandchild is the prime suspect. Original.

The Alpine Advocate

Emma Lord, the editor and publisher of the Alpine Advocate, relies on help from her House & Home editor and tongue-tied Sheriff Milo Dodge to solve a murder that has shocked the town. Original.

The Alpine Gamble

When the garishly grotesque clan of wealthy carpet-sweeper magnate Otto Broadie sweeps down upon Judith McMonigle's Hillside Manor Inn, it looks like there'll be a wild night of drinking, dining, and fortune-telling in the offing. But when their soothsayer-for-hire Madame Gushenka drops dead after someone douses her tea leaves with bug killer, harried hostess Judith and her irrepressible cousin Renie are left to clean up the mess. One of the Brodie bunch would dearly love to sweep the Madame's murder under the rug, however, and that might mean eliminating the nosy Ms. McMonigle as well. But with the help of her one-time beau, policeman Joe Flynn, Judith is determined to rattle the dust off some closeted family skeletons, in order to coax a killer out of hiding before coffee is served.

Just Desserts

Heading out for what they believe will be a vacation at a castle in the Scottish highlands, Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cousin, Renie Jones, discover their unpopular host's murdered body, as well as numerous likely suspects, from his heiress widow to several executive employees. 30,000 first printing.

A Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery

Scots on the Rocks

There's snow place like homicide B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn's ready to hang up her oven mitts, but irrepressible Cousin Renie needs help catering the telephone company's annual winter retreat at secluded Mountain Goat Lodge. The pay's good, the scenery's to die for -- but they never figured there'd be a killer cooking up mischief among this innocuous stew of corporate-climbing phone company ding-a-lings. Unfortunately, Judith and Renie's discovery of the frozen garroted remains of the previous company caterer -- missing since last year's shindig -- suggests no less, since the same cast of characters is present this time around. It's Dial "M" for Mountain Goat Murder, and a storm's blowing in to boot -- leaving Judith and Renie stranded with ten suspects and a corpses...and with nothing better to do than to reach out and touch a killer who's like nothing better than to put two inquisitive cousins in the Deep Freeze.

Snow Place to Die

A bum hip has bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn limping off to Good Cheer Hospital -- a questionable "haven of healing" where two recent patients didn't make the cut after routine surgery. Judith's trepidation at undergoing the knife is eased only by sharing a room with cousin Renie, who's in for rotator cuff repair. Though the cousins survive their surgeries, the ex-pro quarterback next door is permanently sacked after minor knee surgery. With the scoreboard showing Grim Reaper 3, post-op patients 0, Judith decides that she and Renie are obliged to get to the bottom of Good Cheer's carnage. But in order to sew up the case, Judith and Renie must probe into the suspects' psyches. And suddenly it looks as if the cousins' own prognoses could take them out of the game...for good.

Suture Self

Unholy Matrimony Ask not for whom the wedding bell tolls, it tolls for Judith McMonigle Flynn's son Mike--and the Hillside Manor b&b is packed to the rafters with relatives. However, Mama Judith's unrestrained joy is somewhat dampened when, during the rehearsal dinner downtown, she spies a tuxedo-clad gent tossing a bridal-gowned beauty off the roof of a nearby hotel. Always one to eagerly exclaim "I do!" when offered the opportunity to investigate nefarious deeds, Judith's determination to unveil a killer could put undo stress on her own marital bliss with policeman-hubby Joe. But she remains wedded to her mission--and she's not about to take a honeymoon from amateur sleuthing until she's gotten to the bottom of the homicidal hanky-panky surrounding a match made in hell.

Wed and Buried

B&B hostess Judith McMonigle Flynn is happy to escape her own hotelier woes for a few days and nights in a quaint English manor, but when a box of poisoned sweets dispatches the owner, she decides to roll up her sleeves and catch a killer. Reprint.

Auntie Mayhem

Hillside Manor's neighbors all adored proprietor Judith McMonigle Flynn's festive suggestion to deck the halls and houses in their cul-de-sac with eye-catching Christmas finery -- except Enid Goodrich.The grumpy old humbug refused to cooperate.Then someone cooked her Christmas goose -- silencing Enid's objections with a handy hatchet. Though Judith's already got a lot under her tree -- what with holidy business booming and the anticipated unwanted arrival of hubby Joe's soused ex-spouse -- she's not about to let murder mess up what's left of her seasonal spirit. With the help of irrepressible cousin Renie, Judith's determined to wrap up this case for Christmas -- and expose the Scrooge-slayer who felt strongly that the only Goodrich is a Deadrich.

Nutty As a Fruitcake

While witches fly and ghosts go by on a Halloween weekend, a Hollywood cast and crew descend upon Hillside Manor. Judith McMonigle Flynn′s worst nightmare is realised when yet another guest, mega-producer Bruno Zepf, drowns in the kitchen sink. When is a murder not a murder, but an accident that could cost Judith her beloved B&B? The police are baffled, so Judith and cousin Renie try to find a killer - any killer will do - to fend off a five-star lawsuit.

Silver Scream

For Sale: Luxury Condos, Corpse Included Just a stone's throw from Judith McMonigle Flynn's thriving Hillside Manor, workmen are busy renovating the elegantly decrepit Alhambra Arms into pricey condominiums. But concerned contractor George Guthrie fears that well-heeled potential buyers may blanch when they learn about the four-decades-dead body that was stashed behind the crumbling walls of the moldy manse. And ever-inquisitive Judith's discovery of some much more recent remains on the premises threatens to se property values through the floorboards--and Guthrie through the roof! Both her professional detective husband Joe and her partner-in-crime solving cousin Renie think Judith is bonkers to suspect that the two killings are connected. Nevertheless, Judith's ready to build a strong case to that effect -- unless some homicidal someone decides to deconstruct her first!

A Streetcar Named Expire

Bed-and-breakfast hostess Judith McMonigle and her policeman beau Joe Flynn hgave finally gotten hitched-and they're off on a sunny honeymoon to beautiful Buccaneer Beach.But an unfortunate confrontation with a dune buggy run amok puts hubby Joe in hospital traction-leaving his beleaguered blushing bride stranded in paradise with a bad case of ennui by the sea. Luckily irrepressible cousin Renie has selflessly agreed to keep Judith company. And when the landlady of their cozy, costly cottage by the shore turns up dead in their living room, the cousins suddenly have a murderous mystery to keep them afloat. Rumors of a fortune in buried pirate gold add spice to their adventure. But digging up both a treasure and a killer is dirty business-and Judith and Renie might end up digging their own graves.

Dune to Death

SUGARPLUMS AND SCANDAL brings together the best of romance and mystery in one delightful collection of Christmas tales. In the expert hands of six of Avon's best storytellers, the holiday season takes on an air of love and scandalous surprises! Filled with Christmas miracles, romance, and suspense, this will make the perfect gift for both romance and mystery fans. Each author brings their own unique voice and characters to the collection, as well as their fan followings. All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth – Lori Avocato The Lords of Misrule – Dana Cameron The Ghost of Christmas Passed – Mary Daheim Partners in Crime – Cait London Holly Go Lightly – Suzanne Macpherson A Very Vampy Christmas – Kerrelyn Sparks

When the widow of octogenarian Jack Froland insists that her husband had been murdered, Emma Lord, publisher of The Alpine Advocate sets out to uncover the truth about the case and finds herself caught up in a deadly case of blackmail, arson, and homicide. Original.

The Alpine Obituary

Returning to her hometown to shoot a new film, Hollywood star Dani Marsh is shocked when her former husband, Cody Graff, is murdered, a crime that sends single mother Emma Lord out to investigate. Original.

The Alpine Betrayal

The discovery of the dismembered bodies of two women in an Alpine lake leads Emma Lord, the editor of the local newspaper, and her assistant, to investigate--an endeavor that puts Emma in the company of pranksters, peepers, and thieves

The Alpine Christmas

An Emma Lord mystery by the author of "The Alpine Christmas." When a beautiful young African-American nurse with a shady past takes a job in Alpine, some locals show their true bigoted natures, filling editor-publisher Emma Lord with disgust. But when a second newcomer -- a young black man -- is found shot through the head, Emma is stuck with a story she will never forget. Though Sheriff Milo Dodge connects the victim to the nurse, Emma believes there's something more sinister afoot. So she and Vida Runkel, her formidable house-and-home editor, try writing their own scenario. But the case offers too many subplots, too many suspects, and one crafty killer who leaves no tracks. That is, until Emma hits the deadly trail . . .

The Alpine Decoy

THE EDITOR OF THE ALPINE ADVOCATE GOES DIGGING FOR A MURDERER. At forty-two, newspaperwoman Emma Lord decides she needs time off to do some soul-searching. But her old Jag breaks down in the picturesque Pacific Northwest town of Port Angeles, and instead of finding herself, she ,s helping friends find the truth about a grisly discovery: a skeleton in their basement. The bones belong to those of an unknown young woman, buried in a crumbling mansion nearly a century ago. A crushed skull, a garnet earring, a locket containing a telltale keepsake *all whisper of tragedy. Ancient photographs reveal more. But Emma has to fish in dark and dangerous waters to get the whole story of a wealthy, ruthless family, a story that twists and turns to a shocking conclusion that should never be told....

An Emma Lord Mystery

The Alpine Escape

Wondering why the arrival of a Seattle banker is making local bank president Marv Petersen, his heirs, and his employees, unnaturally jittery, reporter Emma Lord soon finds herself investigating a bookkeeper's murder. Original.

Mary Daheim

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