Download or read book Legends Can Be Murder written by Connie Shelton and published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group. This book was released on 2014-11-15 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton takes her readers on a wild trip, in distance and in time, in the fifteenth installment in her original series. Charlie Parker and her husband Drake Langston accept a job with Gold Trail Adventures in Skagway, Alaska, flying visitors by helicopter to remote cabin sites to experience the outdoor lifestyle and seek their fortunes. It isn’t long before one of the guests finds a set of bones in an old mine, remains that date back decades. His hands full with present-day cases, police chief Sam Branson tells Charlie and her new reporter friend, Mina Gengler, that they are free to investigate. A second body is found, bringing up a lot of questions. Charlie gets a peek into the lives and times of Gold Rush-era Alaskans when she discovers a box of old letters written by one of the stampeders and begins to wonder if it's possible that the two bodies are connected. And, ominously, it seems that someone in Skagway today doesn’t want the women to dig for the truth. “Charlie is just what readers want.” –Booklist “Charlie is a fabulous amateur sleuth.” –Midwest Book Review Search words: mystery, crime fiction, bestselling mystery series, series books, Alaska history, Alaska mystery, female amateur sleuth, action adventure, historical mystery, historical fiction, gold rush mystery, mysteries with dogs, pet sleuths

Download or read book Suburban Legends written by Sam Stall and published by Quirk Books. This book was released on 2006 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Land of carpools and cul-de-sacs! Home to good schools and green lawns! An idyllic place where nothing bad ever happens--right? Right?Wrong. As David Lynch and Desperate Housewives have taught us, life in the 'burbs has a dark side--and Surburban Legends shows the worst of it. Here are 75 spooky tales of corpses buried in back yards, ghosts in department stores, UFO sightings, vanishing persons, and much more!

Download or read book Murder by the Book written by Claire Harman and published by Knopf. This book was released on 2019 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "From the prize-winning biographer--the fascinating, little-known story of a Victorian-era murder that rocked literary London, leading Charles Dickens, William Thackeray, and Queen Victoria herself to wonder: can a novel kill? In May 1840, Lord William Russell, well known in London's highest social circles, was found with his throat cut. The brutal murder had the whole city talking. The police suspected Russell's valet, Courvoisier, but the evidence was weak. And the missing clue lay in the unlikeliest place: what Courvoisier had been reading. In the years just before the murder, new printing methods had made books cheap and abundant, the novel form was on the rise, and suddenly everyone was reading. The best-selling titles were the most sensational true-crime stories. Even Dickens and Thackeray, both at the beginning of their careers, fell under the spell of these tales--Dickens publicly admiring them, Thackeray rejecting them. One such phenomenon was William Harrison Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard, the story of an unrepentant criminal who escaped the gallows time and again. When Courvoisier finally confessed his guilt, he would cite this novel in his defense. Murder By the Book combines the thrilling true-crime story with a illuminating account of the rise of the novel form and the battle for its early soul between the most famous writers of the time. It is a superbly researched, vividly written, fascinating read from first to last"--

Download or read book The Michigan Murders written by Edward Keyes and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Edgar Award Finalist: The true story of a serial killer who terrorized a midwestern town in the era of free love—by the coauthor of The French Connection. In 1967, during the time of peace, free love, and hitchhiking, nineteen-year-old Mary Terese Fleszar was last seen alive walking home to her apartment in Ypsilanti, Michigan. One month later, her naked body—stabbed over thirty times and missing both feet and a forearm—was discovered, partially buried, on an abandoned farm. A year later, the body of twenty-year-old Joan Schell was found, similarly violated. Southeastern Michigan was terrorized by something it had never experienced before: a serial killer. Over the next two years, five more bodies were uncovered around Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan. All the victims were tortured and mutilated. All were female students. After multiple failed investigations, a chance sighting finally led to a suspect. On the surface, John Norman Collins was an all-American boy—a fraternity member studying elementary education at Eastern Michigan University. But Collins wasn’t all that he seemed. His female friends described him as aggressive and short tempered. And in August 1970, Collins, the “Ypsilanti Ripper,” was arrested, found guilty, and sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole. Written by the coauthor of The French Connection, The Michigan Murders delivers a harrowing depiction of the savage murders that tormented a small midwestern town.

Download or read book Legend written by Marie Lu and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-11-29 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it." From the New York Times bestselling author of The Young Elites What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets. Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Download or read book The Strings of Murder written by Oscar de Muriel and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2015-02-12 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'A hugely entertaining Victorian mystery' New York Times 'I enjoyed this - properly creepy and Gothic' Ian Rankin A spellbinding concoction of crime, history and horror - perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes and Jonathan Creek _______ Edinburgh, 1888. A violinist is murdered in his home. The dead virtuoso's maid swears she heard three musicians playing in the night. But with only one body in the locked practice room - and no way in or out - the case makes no sense. Fearing a national panic over another Ripper, Scotland Yard sends Inspector Ian Frey to investigate under the cover of a fake department specializing in the occult. However, Frey's new boss, Detective 'Nine-Nails' McGray, actually believes in such supernatural nonsense. McGray's tragic past has driven him to superstition, but even Frey must admit that this case seems beyond reason. And once someone loses all reason, who knows what they will lose next . . . _______ 'This is wonderful. A brilliant, moving, clever, lyrical book - I loved it' Manda Scott 'A great cop double-act . . . It's the pairing of the upright Frey and the unorthodox McGray that notches up the stars for this book' Sunday Sport 'A brilliant mix of horror, history, and humour. Genuinely riveting . . . with plenty of twists, this will keep you turning the pages. It's clever, occasionally frightening and superbly written - The Strings Of Murder is everything you need in a mystery thriller' Crime Review

Download or read book Murder in LaMut written by Raymond E. Feist and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-10-13 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Available in the U.S. for the first time, ehre is the second volume in the exceptional Legends of the Riftwar series from “a master storyteller who weaves exciting, sweeping epic tales” (SF Site) Durine, Kethold, and Pirojil are mercenaries who have spent 20 years fighting other people’s battles, defeating the Tsurani and the Bugs and the goblins. Yet now it seems, there are no more enemies to vanquish, leaving them with a few months of welcomed garrison duty as the Riftwar rages on west in Crydee. When the trio are ordered to accompany a lady and her husband safely to the city of LaMut, it looks like an easy—even cushy—assignment. But in Midkemia, nothing is that simple. . . .

Download or read book Conspiracy Legends written by David Gardner and published by Kings Road Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-16 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: MARILYN MONROE – DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES – ELVIS PRESLEY – JOHN F. KENNEDY – MICHAEL JACKSON These five deaths stopped the whole world in its tracks, and continue to fascinate and intrigue to this day. If people famously remember where they were when JFK was assassinated, many also recall where they were and what they were doing when Elvis, Princess Diana and Michael Jackson died. As for Marilyn Monroe, the candle flickered out long ago, but only now can the truth be told about how – and why – she died. After combing through thousands of recently declassified FBI files, interviewing key witnesses, crime analysts and forensic experts during years of research, investigative writer David Gardner has unearthed new information that will transform the way we look at these iconic tragedies. His book reveals that Elvis Presley died not as a self-obsessed caricature but as a genuine hero who may have signed his death warrant going undercover for the FBI; how Marilyn Monroe’s secret affairs with JFK and his brother, Robert, left her in the crosshairs of a lethal conspiracy; why Princess Diana’s death was no accident; who ordered President John F. Kennedy’s assassination; and the shocking truth about Michael Jackson’s prescription drug addiction and those who sought to gain from it. For the first time, Legends provides many of the answers that have been so elusive for so long, while explaining what it was about these enduring legends that made them so memorable.

Download or read book Sweets Galore written by Connie Shelton and published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-03-15 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for Connie Shelton’s previous mysteries: “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” —The Midwest Book Review Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton throws a twist into this sixth episode in her most popular cozy mystery series. Samantha Sweet and Beau Cardwell are getting ready for their September wedding in Taos, with the whole Sweet clan about to show up for the celebration. Dealing with her mother may turn out to be the least of Sam’s problems when an unwelcome visitor walks into her pastry shop—Sam’s old heart-throb, the charmer, Jake Calendar. Jake wants money for a Hollywood get-rich-quick scheme and he wants Sam to finance the deal. Can Sam convince him that the answer is ‘no’ or will he sabotage the plans for her wedding? “Shelton continues to combine suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships.” – Booklist “Fans of Southwestern mysteries will find that Shelton's engaging story, likable heroine, and comfortable prose make this a good choice.” – Library Journal Search words: mystery, mystery series, romantic suspense, romance series, series books, culinary mysteries, paranormal mystery, paranormal romance, mystery books cozy, mystery books bakery and cooking, bestselling mystery books, mystery books in series, female sleuth cozy mystery, books set in New Mexico, romantic mystery

Download or read book Prologue to Murder written by Lauren Elliott and published by Kensington Cozies. This book was released on 2019-04-30 with total page 315 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a career working with rare books at the Boston Public Library, Addie Greyborne is back in her seaside New England hometown—where unfortunately, murder is not so rare . . . Gossip columnists love a bold-faced name—but “Miss Newsy” at Greyborne Harbor’s local paper seems to specialize in bald-faced lies. She’s pointed a finger of suspicion at Addie after librarian June Winslow never makes it home from a book club meeting. And when June’s found at the bottom of a steep flight of stairs, Addie’s not only dealing with a busybody, but a dead body. It’s a good thing the guy she’s dating is the police chief. But both the case and her love life get more complicated when a lanky blonde reporter from Los Angeles shows up. She’s trying her hardest to drive a wedge between the couple . . . as if Addie doesn’t have enough problems dealing with angry townspeople. Despite all the rumors, Addie doesn’t know a thing about the murder—but she plans to find out. And the key may lie in a book about pirate legends that June published. Now she just has to hunt down the clues before she becomes a buried treasure herself . . .

Download or read book A Mind to Murder written by P.D. James and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2001-06-05 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Adam Dalgluish is called to the elegant Steen Psychiatric Clinic to investigate why the head of the clinic, Enid Bolan was found with a chisel through her heart.

Download or read book Say Nothing written by Patrick Radden Keefe and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2020-02-25 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • SOON TO BE AN FX LIMITED SERIES STREAMING ON HULU • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD WINNER • From the author of Empire of Pain—a stunning, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions. One of The New York Times’s 20 Best Books of the 21st Century "Masked intruders dragged Jean McConville, a 38-year-old widow and mother of 10, from her Belfast home in 1972. In this meticulously reported book—as finely paced as a novel—Keefe uses McConville's murder as a prism to tell the history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Interviewing people on both sides of the conflict, he transforms the tragic damage and waste of the era into a searing, utterly gripping saga." —New York Times Book Review "Reads like a novel ... Keefe is ... a master of narrative nonfiction. . .An incredible story."—Rolling Stone A Best Book of the Year: The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, TIME, NPR, and more! Jean McConville's abduction was one of the most notorious episodes of the vicious conflict known as The Troubles. Everyone in the neighborhood knew the I.R.A. was responsible. But in a climate of fear and paranoia, no one would speak of it. In 2003, five years after an accord brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, a set of human bones was discovered on a beach. McConville's children knew it was their mother when they were told a blue safety pin was attached to the dress--with so many kids, she had always kept it handy for diapers or ripped clothes. Patrick Radden Keefe's mesmerizing book on the bitter conflict in Northern Ireland and its aftermath uses the McConville case as a starting point for the tale of a society wracked by a violent guerrilla war, a war whose consequences have never been reckoned with. The brutal violence seared not only people like the McConville children, but also I.R.A. members embittered by a peace that fell far short of the goal of a united Ireland, and left them wondering whether the killings they committed were not justified acts of war, but simple murders. From radical and impetuous I.R.A. terrorists such as Dolours Price, who, when she was barely out of her teens, was already planting bombs in London and targeting informers for execution, to the ferocious I.R.A. mastermind known as The Dark, to the spy games and dirty schemes of the British Army, to Gerry Adams, who negotiated the peace but betrayed his hardcore comrades by denying his I.R.A. past--Say Nothing conjures a world of passion, betrayal, vengeance, and anguish.

Download or read book Murder at the Academy Awards R written by Joan Rivers and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-02-03 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the Queen of the Red Carpet, Joan Rivers has been eyewitness to Hollywood's most heinous crimes (okay, so they're fashion-related). And in this über-stylish mystery, she enlists her no-holds-barred, slightly blonder literary counterpart, Maxine Taylor, to solve a crime of a different sort. When a gorgeous young actress dies on the Red Carpet, some in Tinseltown call it bad publicity. Max calls it murder. The Academy Awards®. It's Hollywood's biggest night, and there's no star better equipped than the tart-tongued Max Taylor to hold court on the glamorous Red Carpet. Sharing the dish with her daughter, Drew, the calls-it-as-she-sees-it entertainer has parlayed this star-studded annual gig into television's most-watched pre-show event. And tonight, Max has landed a real coup—an exclusive interview with Halsey Hamilton, a fabulous, young, paparazzi-trailed Oscar nominee. But not even Max, who's seen her share of celebrity train wrecks, is prepared for an incoherent Halsey, straight out of rehab, to stumble up to the mic, slur a few cryptic words, and drop dead at the hem of Max's stunning Michael Kors gown. To Hollywood, the starlet's demise was tragic but inevitable. To Max, it looks more like a perfectly calculated crime. After all, she alone heard Halsey's final whisper—a clue that leads Max to the pricey rehab clinic Wonders. With a weakness for nothing more disturbing than artificial sweeteners, Max nonetheless goes undercover and embarks on a twelve-step investigation into murder. Once inside the luxury clinic, Max's list of suspicious players expands faster than the Jolie-Pitt family: Burke Norris, a professional cad and Drew's ex-fiancé; Halsey's father, who is still making money off his dead daughter's fame; Halsey's jealous younger sister; and Rojo Bernstein, a tattooed karate hipster who knew the troubled fallen star much better than anyone suspected. Now it's left to Max to unravel the sordid motives and find Halsey's killer while upstaging an over-the-top Hollywood memorial service and funeral where the ill-fated actress was buried in, of all things, a tacky designer knockoff! And you thought the Oscars were all swag bags and Jimmy Choos? Hah! Honey, it's murder. In Murder at the Academy Awards®, Joan Rivers delivers a very smart, bracingly funny, and pitch-perfect reflection of a Hollywood only she would dare to reveal—all seen through the eyes of an indomitable, high-end amateur sleuth who isn't asking "Who are you wearing?" but rather "Whodunit?"

Download or read book The Woodcarver s Secret written by Connie Shelton and published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group. This book was released on 2015-03-15 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Connie Shelton’s bestselling Samantha Sweet mystery series begins when Samantha is given an ancient carved wooden box from a woman reputed to be a bruja, a witch. Immersed in the series, readers have wondered: Where did the box come from? When did it become magical? How does Samantha receive its powers? The history of the box begins on a summer day in 13th century Ireland when a simple Celtic woodworker takes a walk past a near-dead alder tree. Lightning strikes. With the shattered tree lying all around him, John Carver pulls himself up and decides to make the best of it—he takes the usable pieces to his workshop. From the shards of that dead tree John creates three boxes. Then the unexplained happens—shortly after handling one of them, John’s touch brings his young son back from the brink of death. When the second box demonstrates an opposite tendency, toward the dark side, Carver is terrified that witch-hunters will learn of the boxes and their mystical powers. Eager to rid himself of the artifacts and desperate for money, he sells the three boxes. As they are taken by three very different buyers—a common Englishman, a worldly merchant and a bishop—John feels a foreboding about the future. From the 13th century, the boxes travel the world, eventually drawing the attention of two rival organizations, each with very different motives and methods for gaining what they want. Reminiscent of The Red Violin in scope, this historical novel follows the three boxes to the 21st century and confrontation between the two factions. The Woodcarver’s Secret is the prequel and companion novel to Connie Shelton’s Samantha Sweet paranormal cozy mystery series. The Midwest Book Review says: “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” Praise for Connie’s previous books: “... delightfully complex mystery.” —Romantic Times “... always a good read...” —Southwest Book Views “…transcends the series and becomes a remarkable book in its own right.” –MossRose, 5 star review “I’m addicted to this series!” --Mollie W. 5 star review “Great series. Holds your interest and leaves you wanting more.” --Paula K. 5 stars

Download or read book Killer Colt written by Harold Schechter and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2024-04-02 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An in-the-room account of John Colt’s scandalous nineteenth-century murder trial from “America’s principal chronicler of its greatest psychopathic killers” (Boston Review). In this masterful account, renowned true-crime historian Harold Schechter takes you into the life and crimes of convicted murderer John Caldwell Colt, drawing parallels between John’s rise to notoriety and his brother Samuel Colt’s rise to fame as the inventor of the legendary revolver. With a killing that made headlines around the nation, John Colt became a cultural touchstone whose shocking villainy inspired and provoked such writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Herman Melville. Unlike his brother, John lived a nomadic existence, bouncing from one job to another. His one distinction, writing a reference accounting book, would play a part in his fall from grace. For in New York City, on September 17, 1841, John murdered printer Samuel Adams with a hatchet during a heated argument over proceeds from book sales. A media circus ensued, galvanizing the penny press, which printed lurid headlines and gruesome woodcut illustrations. The standing-room-only trial created unforgettable moments in legal history, including such dramatic evidence as Samuel Adams’s decomposed head. The verdict and its aftermath would reverberate throughout the country and beyond, giving John Colt lasting infamy. “[Schechter] leads us through Colt’s trial with such precision that you can smell the cigar smoke in the courtroom. . . . Killer Colt succeeds in making us care about this story now by showing why it mattered to so many people then.” —HistoryNet

Download or read book Sweets Begorra written by Connie Shelton and published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-07-11 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton's previous mysteries: “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.” –The Midwest Book Review “Once again Connie Shelton has given “us readers” another great book. Both of Connie’s series are a must read.” —online reviewer, 5 stars "Shelton continues to combine suspenseful storytelling with sensitive portrayals of complex family relationships." --Booklist In this seventh book in Connie Shelton’s bestselling cozy mystery series, Samantha Sweet learns that an Irish great-uncle left her an inheritance, so she and Beau change their honeymoon plans and go to the Emerald Isle. Will the gift be something lavish and wonderful, or is there no pot of gold waiting for Sam? Meanwhile, before Sam fully has the answers to her questions, a new mystery presents itself when a local charter boat is found adrift near the rocky Irish coast, its occupants missing. The family of the captain wants answers and when it looks like a group of Americans might be implicated, the Galway homicide detective in charge of the case enlists Beau’s help. With all the extra excitement, the honeymooners begin to wonder if they will ever find some romantic time alone. "Love this new series. Can't wait for the next!" --5 stars, Smashwords Search words: mystery, mystery series, crime fiction, Irish mystery, Ireland, romantic suspense, romance fiction

Download or read book Spooky Sweet written by Connie Shelton and published by Secret Staircase Books, an imprint of Columbine Publishing Group. This book was released on 2016-10-10 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now that Samantha Sweet has a contract to provide her special handmade chocolates for the wealthy jet-set clients of Book It Travel, Sweet’s Sweets bakery is taking on a whole new dimension. Only problem, Sam isn’t ready. It’s almost Halloween, her pastry shop is bursting at the seams and she needs extra employees but there is no place to put them. Right before the witching day, she comes upon a large Victorian house she can adapt for the business, and it seems her problem is solved. But is it? The mysterious, spooky noises at night are way more than the normal creaks and groans of an old building. Something else is going on and Sam suspects it may be related to her husband’s newest case, investigating where an abandoned duffle bag crammed full of cash came from. Beau is dealing with a greedy reward-seeker, a robbery with no leads, and a waif who appears and vanishes. Sam’s mystery has her watching for ghosts and working almost around the clock. Is she relying on magic?—well, occasionally. “Shelton again has done a superb job in bringing New Mexico to life.” —Albuquerque Journal “Connie Shelton gets better with every book she writes.”—The Midwest Book Review “Just reading about Samantha Sweet and friends at her pastry shop will leave you drooling in anticipation of delicious treats.” Joanne K, 5-star review (Spellbound Sweets in Midnight Mysteries) “The teamwork between Samantha and Beau was a main draw as well as attention to detail, down to the last frosted cookie.” – Janine Thiemann, 5 stars (Spellbound Sweets in Midnight Mysteries)