Download or read book A Messy Murder written by Simon Brett and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2024-09-03 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ellen Curtis - professional declutterer, amateur sleuth and woman of a certain age - investigates the puzzling death of a TV personality who's past his prime Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't need to like her clients to help them sort their homes out. Aging TV personality and curmudgeon Humphrey Carter might have a chip on his shoulder the size of England about the decline of his career, but a job's a job. But when Ellen arrives the morning after Humph's eightieth birthday party, primed and ready to tackle his study - no matter his protests - she gets the shock of her life. Humph's dead . . . and all signs point to him having taken his own life. Did the egotistical chat show host really die by suicide? His wife is adamant he's been murdered, and the more Ellen looks, the more dirt on Humph she digs up . . . and the more suspects she uncovers. Can she track down a killer - if there even is one? And, just as importantly, can she keep herself from killing not only her own infuriating mother, but also her two grown-up children, who all seem determined to destroy her peace of mind? This thoroughly engaging contemporary mystery is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and M.C. Beaton.

Download or read book Death Loves a Messy Desk written by Mary Jane Maffini and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2009 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Charlotte Adams, a professional organizer and occasional sleuth, is hired by Fredelle Newhouse to organize a co-worker's cluttered desk, she must solve an untidy mystery when the woman behind the mess goes missing, causing workplace tempers to explode. Original.

Download or read book Married To Murder written by Robert Scott and published by Pinnacle Books. This book was released on 2014-11-14 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Clean Sweep On the morning of December 30, 1978, in Littleton, Colorado, Robert Spangler lured his wife Nancy into the basement with the promise of a "surprise." He then shot her in the head with a .38 handgun. Going upstairs, he shot his teenage children, Susan and David. David was slow in dying, so his father finished him off by smothering him with a pillow. Cover Up Spangler had cunningly framed the crime scene, making it appear that his wife had shot their children and then herself. Now he was free to marry his new love, Sharon Cooper. A former high school athlete, he hiked the Grand Canyon with Sharon, who chronicled the trip in a book dedicated to her "soul mate," Spangler. But their happiness was short-lived. The marriage ended in a costly, messy divorce. Confession In April, 1993, when Spangler's third marriage to 59-year-old aerobics instructor Donna Sundling went sour, he took her hiking in the Grand Canyon and pushed her off a 140-foot drop to her death. In 1994, when ex-wife Sharon committed suicide, Spangler became the focus of intense police scrutiny. Wracked with brain cancer, he told all to investigators in the fall of 2000, detailing his shocking serial saga--the story of a two-time widower. . .and a four-time killer.

Download or read book Death in Her Hands written by Ottessa Moshfegh and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-06-22 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2020 by: The Washington Post, Vogue, Marie Claire, Entertainment Weekly, The Millions, New York Magazine, Paste Magazine, LitHub, E! News Online, and many more From one of our most ceaselessly provocative literary talents, a novel of haunting metaphysical suspense about an elderly widow whose life is upturned when she finds an ominous note on a walk in the woods. While on her daily walk with her dog in a secluded woods, a woman comes across a note, handwritten and carefully pinned to the ground by stones. "Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn't me. Here is her dead body." But there is no dead body. Our narrator is deeply shaken; she has no idea what to make of this. She is new to this area, alone after the death of her husband, and she knows no one. Becoming obsessed with solving this mystery, our narrator imagines who Magda was and how she met her fate. With very little to go on, she invents a list of murder suspects and possible motives for the crime. Oddly, her suppositions begin to find correspondences in the real world, and with mounting excitement and dread, the fog of mystery starts to fade into menacing certainty. As her investigation widens, strange dissonances accrue, perhaps associated with the darkness in her own past; we must face the prospect that there is either an innocent explanation for all this or a much more sinister one. A triumphant blend of horror, suspense, and pitch-black comedy, Death in Her Hands asks us to consider how the stories we tell ourselves both reflect the truth and keep us blind to it. Once again, we are in the hands of a narrator whose unreliability is well earned, and the stakes have never been higher.

Download or read book The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death written by Corinne May Botz and published by The Monacelli Press, LLC. This book was released on 2004-09-28 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death offers readers an extraordinary glimpse into the mind of a master criminal investigator. Frances Glessner Lee, a wealthy grandmother, founded the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard in 1936 and was later appointed captain in the New Hampshire police. In the 1940s and 1950s she built dollhouse crime scenes based on real cases in order to train detectives to assess visual evidence. Still used in forensic training today, the eighteen Nutshell dioramas, on a scale of 1:12, display an astounding level of detail: pencils write, window shades move, whistles blow, and clues to the crimes are revealed to those who study the scenes carefully. Corinne May Botz's lush color photographs lure viewers into every crevice of Frances Lee's models and breathe life into these deadly miniatures, which present the dark side of domestic life, unveiling tales of prostitution, alcoholism, and adultery. The accompanying line drawings, specially prepared for this volume, highlight the noteworthy forensic evidence in each case. Botz's introductory essay, which draws on archival research and interviews with Lee's family and police colleagues, presents a captivating portrait of Lee.

Download or read book Murder Can Be Messy written by Nancy Mangano and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2012-09-13 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stylish Los Angeles super sleuth Natalie North is at it again, busting adulterous, lowlife partners while always wearing a great pair of high heels! To all outward appearances, Blake and Victoria Belmont are the envious Beverly Hills power couple. When PI Natalie is hired by the socialite Victoria Belmont to catch the magnetic Blake Belmont, the sole heir to the Belmont Beer fortune, with his billion dollar pants down, Natalie discovers Blake's double life. Natalie summons the help of her two wannabe spy friends, her boss Norton North, who happens to be her father, and Darren McAllister, her L.A. senior deputy district attorney love interest, to prevent the conniving Victoria from taking Blake for all of his worth. Can Natalie intercede and prevent Blake's billion dollar breathing body from becoming a billion dollar corpse?

Download or read book A Clean Tidy Case of Murder A Truly Messy Mystery written by Donna Doyle and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-10-02 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *** SPECIAL LARGE PRINT EDITION *** When your favorite senior sleuth Emily Cherry decides to clean out her closets she is swept into another messy murder! Can she make the killer come clean? Emily contacts renowned interior stylist Piper Hawkins to help her reorganize her space. Piper is incredibly popular online and Emily hopes hiring him may lead to some great material for her blog. When Piper ends up dead Emily is left sifting through the mess and organizing all the clues to see where they lead! Dust down your favorite chair, grab a cup of tea, and shuffle the clues with Emily. Another clean and wholesome cozy mystery awaits...

Download or read book Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village written by Maureen Johnson and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2021-09-14 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Considering a trip to a quaint English village? You’ll think twice after learning about the countless murderous possibilities lurking behind the bucolic façades, thanks to this illustrated guide from #1 bestselling author Maureen Johnson and illustrator Jay Cooper—perfect for fans of cozy mysteries. A weekend roaming narrow old lanes, touring the faded glories of a country manor, and quaffing pints in the pub. How charming. That is, unless you have the misfortune of finding yourself in an English Murder Village, where danger lurks around each picturesque cobblestone corner and every sip of tea may be your last. If you insist on your travels, do yourself a favor and bring a copy of this little book. It may just keep you alive. Brought to life with dozens of Gorey-esque drawings by illustrator Jay Cooper and peppered with allusions to classic crime series and unmistakably British murder lore, Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village gives you the tools you need to avoid the same fate, should you find yourself in a suspiciously cozy English village (or simply dream of going). Good luck! And whatever you do, avoid the vicar.

Download or read book Death of a Hussy written by M. C. Beaton and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2012-06-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Travel to the Scotland Highlands with this classic Hamish Macbeth cozy mystery from the author of the Agatha Raisin series. Death of a Hussy: A Hamish Macbeth Mystery About the best that can be said of wealthy Maggie Baird is that inside her middle-aged body, there still beats the heart of a beautiful tart. So when her car catches fire with Maggie in it, there are five likely suspects right on the premises of her luxurious Highlands cottage. Lochdubh police constable Hamish Macbeth has to question Maggie's timid niece and four former lovers, one of whom Maggie had intended to pick for her husband. All five are equally poor-with ample motive and opportunity to monkey with Maggie's car. Now to find the killer, the astute lawman must apply his extraordinary insight into human nature. But when the evidence appears to point to the wrong person entirely, Hamish must dig down deep to stop the real murderer's escape.

Download or read book Death in Irish Accents written by Catie Murphy and published by Kensington Books. This book was released on 2023-02-21 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a long streak of avoiding murder investigations, Dublin limo driver Megan Malone thought her life had finally settled . . . but even her Irish luck can’t keep her out of trouble forever. It’s been over a year since Megan found herself entangled in a murder—much to everyone’s relief, including her girlfriend Jelena and Detective Paul Bourke. So when a body of a young woman quite literally lands in her lap at her favorite Dublin café, Megan tries to do the right thing and leave the crime-solving to the police so she can enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day weekend. After all, she has no connection to the victim. Or does she? Megan’s latest client, world-renowned romance novelist Claire Woodward, is fascinated by Megan’s own history of catching killers. Claire also just happens to be the murder victim’s literary mentor. So maybe Megan can just sort of stay on the periphery of the case while trying to help out? Just a wee bit without causing too much fuss? Even Detective Bourke would approve since he has personal reasons not to trust Claire. The investigation leads Megan to the victim’s writing group, who think that Claire has plagiarized the poor young lady’s work. And when another member of the group is found dead, Megan will have to step up her sleuthing before the killer decides to write her off for good. Praise for Catie Murphy’s Dublin Driver Mysteries “There is so much to like about the cozy perfection that is Catie Murphy’s Death on the Green, from the lush Irish travelogue to the precise balance between comic relief and crime.” —Bookpage STARRED REVIEW “Death of an Irish Mummy will entertain and amuse, as well as give readers an escape to the land of leprechauns, great beer, and a people who can tell a tall tale and make you believe.” —The Cozy Review

Download or read book Murder is a Dirty Business written by Tricia L. Sanders and published by Tricia L Sanders. This book was released on 2023-11-11 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between hot flashes and divorce papers, a middle-aged woman considers her outlook on life when she butts heads with a hot detective during a murder investigation. When Cece Cavanaugh's husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Choosing the easier path, Cece lands a job cleaning a crime scene where a high school coach was murdered. When his wife is implicated—a young woman Cece practically raised—Cece finds herself mopping floors, balancing an empty checkbook, and ferreting out a killer. Amid all this messy business, Cece bumps heads with a handsome detective. She tries to ignore her growing attraction to the detective, but he gives new meaning to the term "hot flash." After she stumbles onto a clue that could vindicate her friend, her elation turns to panic when she haphazardly confronts the killer. Through the danger and romance, Cece discovers self-reliance and inner strength. And that crime—at least, someone else's—does pay the bills.

Download or read book Blood Powder and Residue written by Beth A. Bechky and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2021-01-19 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rare behind-the-scenes look at the work of forensic scientists The findings of forensic science—from DNA profiles and chemical identifications of illegal drugs to comparisons of bullets, fingerprints, and shoeprints—are widely used in police investigations and courtroom proceedings. While we recognize the significance of this evidence for criminal justice, the actual work of forensic scientists is rarely examined and largely misunderstood. Blood, Powder, and Residue goes inside a metropolitan crime laboratory to shed light on the complex social forces that underlie the analysis of forensic evidence. Drawing on eighteen months of rigorous fieldwork in a crime lab of a major metro area, Beth Bechky tells the stories of the forensic scientists who struggle to deliver unbiased science while under intense pressure from adversarial lawyers, escalating standards of evidence, and critical public scrutiny. Bechky brings to life the daily challenges these scientists face, from the painstaking screening and testing of evidence to making communal decisions about writing up the lab report, all while worrying about attorneys asking them uninformed questions in court. She shows how the work of forensic scientists is fraught with the tensions of serving justice—constantly having to anticipate the expectations of the world of law and the assumptions of the public—while also staying true to their scientific ideals. Blood, Powder, and Residue offers a vivid and sometimes harrowing picture of the lives of highly trained experts tasked with translating their knowledge for others who depend on it to deliver justice.

Download or read book Delivering Death written by Julie Kramer and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-01-07 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the author of Stalking Susan comes the latest installment in the “compulsively readable” (WCCO-TV) bestselling Riley Spartz thriller series, featuring a smart, sassy, and always entertaining TV reporter as she matches wits with a media-savvy killer. The most appealing mystery heroine since Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, TV reporter Riley Spartz is a star investigative journalist for Channel 3—and no stranger to the seedier side of her hometown. But when she receives a package of smelly human teeth in the mail at work, she’s quickly embroiled in a homicide investigation that spirals into one of the odder cases the Minneapolis police force has ever seen. Though the cops try to keep certain grisly details quiet, this murder has a strange twist—it seems that the killer wants the crime publicized. Is it a revenge killing, or something more? Riley’s investigation takes her inside a lucrative identity theft ring that links low-life crooks like now-dead Leon Akume to white-collar opportunists like once-wealthy Jack Clemens. Despite a prime motive for murder, Jack also has the ultimate alibi: he's behind bars. While Riley pushes to keep the homicide in the news, her boss is convinced that coverage of the Mall of America’s unique version of a royal wedding is key to the station winning ratings. As the stakes continue to rise for her job and her life, Riley must outwit the killer in a trap that could leave yet another person dead... An irresistible suspense novel that will keep readers turning pages until the stunning conclusion, Delivering Death brings the humor, intrigue, and twists and turns Julie Kramer’s fans have been waiting for.

Download or read book Murder Is a Dirty Business written by Tricia Sanders and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between hot flashes and divorce papers, a middle-aged woman reconsiders her outlook on life when she butts heads with a hot detective during a murder investigation. When Cece Cavanaugh's husband empties their joint bank account, steals her designer luggage, and runs off with a younger woman, Cece must decide whether to ask her manipulative mother-in-law for a handout or get a job. Choosing the easier path, Cece lands a job cleaning a crime scene where a high school coach was murdered. When his wife is implicated-a young woman Cece practically raised-Cece finds herself mopping floors, balancing an empty checkbook, and ferreting out a killer. Amid all this messy business, Cece bumps heads with a handsome detective. She tries to ignore her growing attraction to the detective, but he gives new meaning to the term "hot flash." After she stumbles onto a clue that could vindicate her friend, her elation turns to panic when she haphazardly confronts the killer. Through the danger and romance, Cece discovers self-reliance and inner strength. And that crime - at least, someone else's - does pay the bills.

Download or read book Dirty Deeds written by Suzanne Price and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When the body of real-estate developer and wannabe actor Kyle Fipps is found after the Art Association's annual bash, amateur sleuth Sky Taylor's investigation leads straight to city hall, where she has landed a new cleaning contract. Original.

Download or read book Murder on the Books written by Christine Knapp and published by Gemma Halliday Publishing. This book was released on 2023-11-14 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Books and bells, midwives, and murder… Maeve O'Reilly Kensington has fully recovered from her heart-pounding escape from a murderer last summer. Now she and her husband, Will, are happily adapting to life as parents of an eight-month-old while also preparing for the birth of their second daughter. Will's catering business, A Thyme for All Seasons, is booming and Maeve's midwifery practice has blossomed under new hospital leadership. It's winter in the seaside New England town of Langford, and the holidays are fast approaching. Maeve decides to make a last-minute dash to the Langford Library just before closing time...and discovers the body of the well-loved library director in the snow! Did she have a medical issue? Did she fall? Is murder on the books? A tangled web is weaved and Maeve and her wealthy, forthright sister Meg are stymied at every turn. At the same time, jewelry thieves may have targeted the Hanville Grove senior center where Maeve and Meg's mother and the "ladies of the lobby" reside. Holidays, murder, and robberies pile up as Maeve's pregnancy marches on. Can the sisters solve the crimes in their limited time frame? Will Maeve have the birth of her dreams? Will the Langford Library ever be the same? "Christine’s writing style is very entertaining with sensory laden description of the various environment, characters, and even the state of Maeve’s cookies and knitting. Clever & Entertaining Gem!" ~ Kings River Life Magazine "Readers will fall in love with this series immediately!! I highly encourage and suggest you grab your copy." ~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

Download or read book The Tattoo Murder Case written by Akimitsu Takagi and published by Soho Press. This book was released on 2003-07-01 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kinue Nomura survived World War II only to be murdered in Tokyo, her severed limbs discovered in a room locked from the inside. Gone is the part of her that bore one of the most beautiful full-body tattoos ever rendered. Kenzo Matsushita, a young doctor who was first to discover the crime scene, feels compelled to assist his detective brother, who is in charge of the case. But Kenzo has a secret: he was Kinue’s lover, and soon his involvement in the investigation becomes as twisted and complex as the writhing snakes that once adorned Kinue’s torso. The Tattoo Murder Case was originally published in 1948; this is the first English translation.