Your Host

Susan Sleeman
is passionate about Christian Suspense as both a reader and a writer. She is the author of High-Stakes Inheritance, a romantic suspense novel to be released in September by Love Inspired Suspense an imprint of Steeple Hill Publishers and Nipped in the Bud, a romantic cozy mystery in October from Barbour Publishing.
Read more about Susan's. . .
Christian Suspense
To Die For

COZY MYSTERIES

A Mile from Sunday Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Jo Kadlecek / Nav Press Religion reporter for The Denver Dispatch, Jonna Lightfoot McLaughlin is the daughter of spiritually experimental hippies---so she's seen just about everything out there. Then she receives an anonymous tip about a church that's stealing lives instead of saving them. Could this be the story she's been waiting for---or the end of her career? 256 pages, softcover

A Minute Before Friday, Lightfoot Trilogy Series #3 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Jo Kadlecek / Nav Press Religion reporter Jonna Lightfoot is facing the greatest challenge of her career: explore the elements of good and evil in New York City! Along the way, she encounters deceitfulness from Ivy League universities and Chinatown evangelicals to Wiccan gatherings and . . . her own mirror. Will her faith survive---and romance flourish? Includes a discussion guide. 256 pages, softcover from NavPress.

A Quarter After Tuesday Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Jo Kadlecek / Nav Press Religion reporter Jonna Lightfoot MacLaughlin is always looking for a good story---and romance! When she visits a New Orleans senior center filled with faith, she thinks surely this is uplifting news! But a resident's mysterious death and an anonymous tip spark her investigation into strange occurrences. Meanwhile, has Jonna found the man of her dreams? 316 pages, softcover from NavPress.

A Quarter for a Kiss, Million Dollar Mystery Series #4 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers Callie and Tom have just spent a wonderful few weeks getting to know each other after years of a telephone-only relationship. But as their time together draws to a close, they are called to the hospital bed of mutual friend Eli Gold, who has just been shot. Eli ask Callie to find out who is responsible for the shooting and begs Tom to help her. The search leads Tom and Callie to the beautiful island of St. John in the Virgin Islands. There they face a sinister enemy among the ruins of an old sugar plantation--an enemy who's willing to do anything to keep his identity secret and the past deeply buried.

A Suspicion of Strawberries Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lynette Sowell / Barbour Publishing When Charla Rae Thacker and her bridesmaids show up at Andi's soap shop in Greenburg, Tennessee, for a morning of pre-wedding pampering, Andi bends over backwards to make it a pleasant experience for them all. But then Charla keels over and dies from anaphylactic shock after she uses Andi's personally blended cherries jubilee facial scrub. Andi suspects sabotage and murder when she discovers strawberries - a lethal allergen for Charla - in the scrub. Now, Andi must save her business and her reputation.

Advent of a Mystery Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Marilyn Leach / Barbour Publishing Retired investigative reporter Berdie Elliott follows her pastor husband to a small English parish. But when a member of the church dies mysteriously at Christmastime, Berdie---with the help of her friend, Lillie---launches an "unofficial investigation." Will she impede the local law, foul up Lillie's chance at romance, and get her husband fired? 256 pages, softcover from Barbour.

Alibi in Arkansas Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Christine Lynxwiler, Sandy Gaskin & Jan Reynolds / Barbour Publishing No matter where southern sisters Jenna and Carly go, murder turns up like a bad penny. When the local newspaper editor is killed and Carly's son is a suspect, Jenna decides to go undercover to get the scoop on murder. A vacation in Branson , Missouri, sounds like fun but Jenna and Carly are surprised to find that the glittering lights and twanging tunes make a perfect backdrop for...murder! Back home in Lakeview, Carly's new diner is really cooking. But the last time she looked, murder was NOT on the menu.. So why is there a body outside her backdoor?

Another Hour to Kill Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Anita Higman / Barbour Publishing WHERE BAILEY WALKER LIVES, BEING NEIGHBORLY TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING. . . . Bailey has survived the mysteries of Volstead Manor, but her latest threats are more ominous than ever. Did her neighbor B.J. die of natural causes? Or was he murdered? And why does the new neighbor, Vlad Tepes, seem to always be watching her? While searching for a lost treasure and planning a wedding the size of an amusement park, Bailey must discover what monster is still lurking in the neighborhood. Will she unravel the puzzle in time, or will Bailey merely provide the villain with Another Hour to Kill?

Another Stab At Life Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Anita Higman / Barbour Publishing She has nowhere to go, except the dilapidated mansion she's just inherited from her Granny Minna. Unfortunately, Bailey discovers the house has a history as shadowy as its hidden passages and finds the neighborhood overflowing with some rather quirky folks. Bailey suddenly feels like she's trapped inside the pages of a gothic novel - but with a comedic twist. In order to honor her grandmother's wishes and stay at Volstead Manor Bailey must unravel a string of mysteries and secrets, which all seem determined to stay happily ever buried.

Baker's Fatal Dozen Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lisa Harris / Barbour Publishing Get ready to cook up a second helping of Pricilla Crumb and her hilarious schemes to serve up justice. When Reggie Pierce, who runs Pricilla Crumb's favorite bakery, is found dead, Pricilla finds herself hot on the trail of another sticky scandal that begins with murder. But as Pricilla chases after clues to catch a killer, will the road to her long-distance romance with Max hit a permanent detour?

Band Room Bash Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Candice Miller Speare / Barbour Publishing None of the kids at Four Oaks High School like cold, beautiful Ms. Georgia Winters, the new English teacher. But that shouldn't be a reason to murder her, right? Or is it. . . Trish Cunningham and oldest stepson, Tommy, find Georgia dead in the band room with her head bashed in. The suspect list grows and the charges might be assault with a deadly. . .bassoon. Then again, maybe not. Once again, Trish pulls out her notebook to collect clues. But Detective Eric Scott, who is suffering his own personal issues with Trish's best friend, Abbie, pointedly asks Trish to butt out. Despite Detective Scott's warnings, she jumps in as usual and finds herself embroiled in a mystery that has its roots in thwarted love and revenge. The finale could be Trish's swan song.

Blind Dates Can Be Murder, A Smart Chick Mystery Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers Blind dates give everyone the shivers,with or without a murder attached to them. When Jo Tulip's date excuses himself in the middle of dinner to get something from his car and then doesn't return, Jo is first confused and then mad. Leaving the restaurant, she finds a crowd gathered around the man she had met for the first time earlier in the evening now lying lifeless in the parking lot. Who was he really and what happened to him?

Blown Away Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing Hilde Higgins has an unexplainable dislike of clowns. Trouble is that she's fallen for a handsome stocfkbroker who moonlights a s a clown at the children's hospital. When Harold "Binky" Tuttwiler and another member of the clown group both end up dead, Hilde's boyfriend suddenly becomes a suspect of murder. Is someone clowning around with the Clowns for Christ, or has Hilde misjudged the man she thought Adam Sawyer to be? Can Hilde solve the mystery before a Kansas twister blows away all the evidence?

Burying the Hatchet Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Chris Well / Barbour Publishing Longtime grump, Earl Walker is attending church for the first time in years. The minister, Andrew Benton,has been waging a public war with celebrity psychic Montague Black, who is riding his way to national fame by intruding on a local murder investigation. The pastor, standing on the Bible, opposes consorting with a psychic. When the two men are invited to a public summit, both walk into the room--but only the minister omes out alive. Can Earl prove that Pastor Benton was inexplicably framed...or is it time to start looking for a new

Bye Bye Bertie Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing Ivy Towers lives in the tiny town of Winter Break, Kansas. While working hard to get her late aunt's rare bookstore, Miss Bitty's Bygone Bookstore, on its feet, she accidentally discovers a map hidden inside an old music box. Could it be the map to the Lost Gambler's Gold? The legend of the ill-fated gambler, who hid his fortune somewhere in Winter Break before an Indian raid in the 1860s, has circulated among residents ever since Ivy can remember. Unbeknownst to her boyfriend, Deputy Sheriff Amos Parker, Ivy follows the directions to the place where "X" marks the spot. What she digs up will uncover a mystery that leads to much more than she ever imagined. Lives will be changed, old secrets will be revealed, and Ivy will learn that sometimes, lost treasure can turn out to be much more valuable than a chest full of gold.

California Capers Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Dana Mentink / Barbour Publishing At first glance, Finny, California, looks like any other coastal tourist village, but for resident Ruth Budge, the kaleidoscope of zany Finny citizens keeps her on the lookout for trouble. Trouble finds her first, though, as two gruesome discoveries nearly push Ruth to the edge of her sanity. With one mystery to rest Ruth heals from losing her husband and forms a new love, but will the evil she senses along the way remain forever buried under the Finny fog? Then one would think pregnancy at forty-eight might be cause enough for worry. . .until another body surfaces in the shadow of Finny's Nose and Ruth is once again forced

Candy Coated Secrets Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cynthia Hickey / Barbour Publishing WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT ESCORTING AN ELEPHANT DOWN HIGHWAY 64 COULD LEAD TO MURDER? When a carnival train crashes in front of Summer Meadows's house, she does what comes naturally-she acts without thinking and volunteers to lead an elephant to the fairground. The animal's trainer follows close behind but disappears when they reach their destination. When Summer goes looking for the trainer, she finds something altogether different-a woman hanging dead in the shower of one of the trailers. A carnival slew of mishap and misadventure ensue when Summer and her fiancé, Ethan, set out to solve the murder.

Chocolate- Covered Crime Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cynthia Hickey / Barbour Publishing Summer Meadows' chocolate candy business is booming in Spring, Arkansas, and she becomes overwhelmed with her own April Fool's Day wedding plans. But then her cousin/wedding planner is found murdered and more mysteries keep occurring at family parties. Can Summer resist the urge to investigate when she and her dysfunctional relatives are dipped into a plot of unrequited love, internet scam, and jilted hearts? Could the murderer be related to her and have Summer targeted next? Will her fiance' support her sleuthing antics, or is another suspect with something to hide?

Colorado Crimes Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lisa Harris / Barbour Publishing Laugh and cry along with Chef Pricilla Crumb as the guest list at her son's Colorado mountain hunting lodge quickly turns into a suspect list for murder. Then Pricilla's favorite baker ends up dead with Pricilla caught in a sticky scandal. Finally one of Pricilla's former culinary students is arrested for murder and in need of her help. And along the way, rejoice as love blooms for Pricilla in a second-chance romance.

Cow Crimes & the Mustang Menace: A Ruby Taylor Mystery Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Sharon Dunn / Kregel Publications Investigating a series of bizarre ranch thefts, dealing with the expectations of a Betty Crocker mom, and entering a recipe in the Potato Festival cook-off, have Ruby Taylor in over her flaming red head. When an outsider turns up dead, it'll take more than a steaming mocha expresso, and her unpredictable yet intriguing Wesley, to save Ruby from the danger.

Cozy In Kansas Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing College student Ivy Towers has definite plans for her future. But when her great-aunt bitty is found dead inside her rare bookstore, Ivy must travel back to a place and a past she thought she'd left behind. She discovers that Bitty's supposed fall from her library ladder seems quite suspicious. Her decision to poke her nose into things changes her destiny and propels her into uncovering carefully hidden secrets buried deep below the surface in the small town of Winter Break, Kansas. Along the way, she will also discover that love can be found where you least expect it--and in the most mysterious circumstances.

Dead As a Scone, The Royal Tunbridge Mystery Series #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron & Janet Benrey / Barbour Publishing Curator of the Royal Tunbridge Wells tea Museum, Nigel Owen has learned that a dangerous criminal sits on the institution's board. But before the killer's identity is revealed, Dame Elspeth dies--from a tainted creme' brulee'! Arrogant forensicchemist Flick Adams joins Nigel in the investigation. Can these two prima donnas solve this jolly good mystery?

Death of a Garage Sale Newbie, Bargain Hunters Mysteries Series #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Sharon Dunn / Multnomah Publishers Inc. Since when do three women, bonded together by the need to clip coupons and be first in line at door buster sales, solve crimes? Since the fourth member of the Bargain Hunters Network was found dead. When they suspect Mary Margret s murder was prompted by something she purchased at a garage sale the morning of her death, the three amateur sleuths begin to investigate. Suzanne is a mother of three with another on the way. Kindra is a college student with a taste for designer clothes but not the budget. And Ginger is an active baby boomer whose world is filled with scouting the clearance racks, church activities, and helping her retired husband, Earl, test his inventions. Their discoveries take them back twenty years to a dark and buried secretone perhaps better left there.

Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Sharon Dunn / Multnomah Another murder mystery for the Bargain Hunters Network-only this time, one of them is a suspect! Ginger and her husband, Earl, are in for a wild ride in Calamity, Nevada, along with the other BHN ladies-college student Kindra, mother-of-four Suzanne, and sassy senior Arleta. They came to town for the Invention Expo and some outlet shopping, but instead they endure lost luggage, broken air conditioning, and a long line of people angry at hotel owner Dustin Clydell. With the Invention Expo and the Squirrel Lovers' convention both in town, the Wind-Up Hotel has somehow overbooked. Before the night is over, a man has been found dead in a teddy bear costume, the Invention Expo has been canceled, Binky the water-skiing squirrel has gone missing…and the authorities want to talk to one of the BHN ladies! What else could possibly go wrong? Once again, the Bargain Hunters Network swings into sleuth mode to solve the murder-and this time, clear one of their own. Along the way, Ginger discovers something even better than a bargain.

Death on a Deadline By Christine Lynxwiler, Jan Reynolds, & Sandy Gaskin / Barbour Publishing Headline News; Jenna Stafford's nephew is accused of killing his boss, the newspaper editor. But stop the presses! Jenna recruits her sister, Carly, and they go undercover to get the scoop on the murder. Will the next headline proclaim: Jenna and Carly Expose Killer? Or will the sleuthing sisters end up the featured subjects in tomorrow's obit column?

Died in the Wool Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Elizabeth Ludwig & Janelle Mowery / Barbour Publishing Hoping to procure much needed funds o buy computers for her beloved library, Monah Trenary is battling for monies donated to the city of Pine Mills. When a rival for the revenue ends up dead, Monah is one of the prime suspects. Could she have killed for computers? Pine Mills police detective Mike Brockman is dismayed when he finds evidence that monkshood and Monah appear to be a lethal combination. As bodies begin piling up, Monah and proven sleuth Casey Alexander step up their own investigation. Will they clear the librarian's name before she's booked for murder?

Dog Gone Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Eileen Key / Barbour Publishing Cleaning lady Belle Blevins dusts off her sleuthing skills when a rash of missing dogs jeopardizes her best friend's boarding business. Why would anyone go to such extremes to steal a family pet? When Belle learns the missing animals could possibly be in the hands of dognappers, she trades her vacuum for a detective kit and enters the world of valuable show dogs. Will she win a blue ribbon in the romance category? Or will her curiosity put her on the no-show list for the next round of competition?

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels, Million Dollar Mystery Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers A young widow, Callie finds strength in her faith in God and joy in her relationship with her wealthy employer, Tom. Though Callie has the opportunity to present funds to many nonprofit organizations through her job with the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation, she also has a favorite charity of her own at home on the Chesapeake. Working to provide quality work clothes to women who can't afford to buy their own, Callie becomes involved with one young woman trying to come out of drug rehabilitation and into the work force--just as she's charged with murder. Callie can't possibly know in advance that leaping into the situation will put her in terrible danger. What appears to be a routine murder investigation in her sleepy waterside village suddenly becomes complicated amid international intrigue, cutting-edge technology, and deadly deception. In a desperate moment at what could be the end of her life, Callie cries out to the God who is as close as a whispered prayer.

Down Home and Deadly Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com by Christine Lynxwiler, Jan Reynolds & Sandy Gaskin / Barbour Publishing DEATH FOR DESSERT-When Jenna Stafford quits her dead-end job to help her sister Carly open a diner, she may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Even though business is really cooking, last time the sisters checked, murder was NOT on the menu. So who's the dead guy out back? And why are there more police officers on the scene than there are paying customers? Can Jenna and Carly sort out their scrambled love lives and still find the missing ingredient in time to solve the crime before their goose is cooked?

Drop Dead Diva Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com by Christine Lynxwiler, Jan Reynolds & Sandy Gaskin / Barbour Publishing Free Branson vacation…in exchange for a little elbow grease and moral support. Jenna Stafford and her sister, Carly, dust off their cowboy boots, herd the kids into the SUV, and hightail it up to Branson, Missouri, to help with the grand opening of a friend's theater. To their amazement, the glittering lights and twanging tunes make a perfect backdrop for…murder! The high-maintenance star of the show gets on everyone's nerves. Until someone puts a permanent end to the diva's demands. Carly and Jenna's leading men are waiting in the wings. But with a whole band of suspects, can the sleuthing sisters make the killer play a different tune before their own song is silenced forever?

Elementary, My Dear Watkins, A Smart Chick Mystery Series #3 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers When someone tries to push Jo Tulip in front of a New York train, her ex-fiance,Bradford, suffers an injury while saving her and the unintentional sleuth isthrown onto the tracks of a very personal mystery. Jo's boyfriend, Danny Watkins,is away in Paris, so she begins a solo investigation of her near-murder.What secret was Bradford about to share before he took the fall? And whenJo uncovers clues tied to Europe, can she and Danny work together in time to save her life?

Everybody Called Her a Saint Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cecil Murphey / Barbour Publishing Who would want to kill the sainted Twila Belk?. . .Especially since she had footed the bill for an Antarctica cruise with 48 of her "closest friends?" But when a search team discovers the body of the murdered benefactress on Brown Bluff Island, an unlikely duo joins forces to solve the heinous crime. Though once engaged, Reverend James Burton and Psychologists Julie West are no longer even on speaking terms. Can their mutual love and admiration for a dear, departed friend allow them to set aside their animosities long enough to bring Twila's killer to justice?

Everybody Loved Roger Harden Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cecil Murphey / Barbour Publishing Psychologist Julie West and Reverend James Burton arrive late for dinner on Palm Island-but just in time to discover their host, millionaire Roger Harden, murdered. Ten possible suspects share close quarters on the secluded island, all of them with deep secrets and sufficient motive to have wanted the wealthy "benefactor" dead. Can Julie and Burton ignore the mysterious attraction developing between them long enough to discover who among them didn't love Roger Harden enough to let him live?

Everybody Wanted Room 623 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cecil Murphey / Barbour Publishing When psychologist Julie West arrives at Cartledge Inn in response to an urgent call from Stefan Lauber, a supposedly reformed criminal recently released from prision, a near-hysterical desk clerk tells her that Lauber has been murdered in his room-room 623..

Everybody's Suspect in Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cecil Murphey / Barbour Publishing Psychologist Julie West and Pastor James Burton always seem to find themselves at the wrong place and the wrong time-together. They first meet as they arrive at Palm Island and discover their host, Roger Harden, dead from a gunshot wound. Just as romance develops between this unlikely pair, the body of a second mutual acquaintance is found, murdered, on the floor of room 623 in the prestigious Cartledge Inn. While on an Antarctic cruise, the warmth of romance turns to ice against the undertow of Burton's deep, dark secrets. Can these Georgia residents-turned-amateur-sleuths set their chilly feelings aside long enough to solve yet another murder of a beloved mutual

Fog Over Finny's Nose Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Dana Mentink / Barbour Publishing The worm business is thriving for vermi-culturist Ruth Budge. . . until a disembodied toe turns up on the golf course, and members of a strange cult begin to infiltrate the quiet seaside town of Finny, California. Life is already crazy for forty-seven-year-old Ruth, juggling the needs of her worm farm, her new spouse, and a platoon of crippled seabirds bequeathed to her by her dead husband. Then there's the insanity swirling around the first ever Finny Fog Festival and the discovery of a bizarre diary from one of the town's seediest ancestors. Things go from misty to murderous as a man plummets to his death from an exploding hot air balloon. Is the craziness a byproduct of the festival or a decades-old curse unearthed in the antique diary? Ruth had better find out fast or her worms won't be the only things six feet under.

For Whom The Wedding Bell Tolls Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing Ivy Towers is getting married to the love of her life. . .But she finds that trying to run a rare bookstore and plan her upcoming nuptials is more than she can handle. In steps Delaphine Shackleford, a new and unwilling resident in the small town of Winter Break, Kansas. Delaphine offers to be Ivy's wedding planner, and Ivy jumps at her offer. But hiring the eccentric woman will not only drive Ivy to the brink of madness, it will also propel her into the middle of a bizarre murder mystery!

Fudge Laced Felonies Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cynthia Hickey / Barbour Publishing While transplanting the rosebush her church's handsome greeter, Ethan Banning, inadvertently killed, Summer and Ethan discover a hidden stash of diamonds, a rusty can full of cash, and a bloody gardening. glove. This discovery sets Summer and her candy-making aunt on a search for a killer.

George Washington Stepped Here Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By KD Hays / Barbour Publishing Karen Maxwell, a divorced mother of two, is struggling to balance her life as a soccer mom with her need to have a life of her own. After working as a bookkeeper in her brother's private investigation firm for years, she finally gets the chance to go undercover and handle a case on her own. Her first assignment is to find out who has stolen the local historical society's greatest treasure. Along the way she makes some new friends, one of whom is very attractive, unmarried, and unfortunately a prime suspect in the case.

Glory Be! Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron Benrey / Steeple Hill After a big falling out in the church, angry parishioners choose practical jokes as their weapon of choice. When a VW Bug shows up on Emma McCall's porch, she knows that matters need to be taken care of in a serious manner. She calls in the cops to help with the pranksters, and along with the detective comes the deputy police cheif, Rafe Neilson. When the events take a turn for the worse, Rafe knows he must do everything he can to prevent Emma from being caught in the crossfire.

Gone To Glory! Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron and Janet Benrey / Steeple Hill An unexpected windfall had greedy church choir members seeing green, taking sides and preparing for battle. Their weapon of choice? Practical jokes. And Emma McCall wanted no part of it, until a VW Bug appeared on her bed-and-breakfast porch. The combatants pranks were escalating, and only innkeeper Emma seemed to be taking them seriously. But before the pretty amateur could dust for fingerprints, an unexpected ally appeared: Glorys deputy police chief, Rafe Neilson. So when the antics became no laughing matter, the courageous single dad could not let impetuous Emma fight the pranksters alone.

Gone with the Groom, Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Janice A. Thompson / Barbour Publishing The best laid plans of brides and men go awry when Annie Peterson's future son-in-law Scott disappears. Have pre-wedding jitters caused Brandi's fianci to take flight, or are more sinister forces at work? Surely Annie can solve the riddle. But who could be behind this apparent kidnapping caper? Maybe the drug company Scott works for has hidden motives. Perhaps it's the handiwork of Otis, Scott's deceitful dad. But then again it could be the shady wedding photographer, or the "political enemies" of Scott's mother. Will Annie solve the mystery and recover the missing groom, or will she suffer "regrets only"?

Grits and Glory Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron & Janet Benrey / Steeple Hill Books A killer tried to make the hurricane that blew through Glory, North Carolina look like the bad guy. Yet Storm Channel cameraman Sean Miller knew a murder had been committed-though feisty secretary Ann Trask was the only person to believe him. Which meant it was time for Sean to invite Ann for some serious off-the-air investigation.

Gunfight at Grace Gulch Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Darlene Franklin / Barbour Publishing The feud between the Graces and the Gaynors is still going strong more than a century after its inception in the 1891 Oklahoma land run. Newspaper editor Penn Hardy is murdered during the reenactment of the most famous gunfight in the history of Grace Gulch, Oklahoma. Cici Wilde, owner of a vintage clothing store, feels compelled to investigate when police suspect people close to her. She soon discovers her talent for sleuthing equals her flare for wearing period clothing. Theater director Audie Howe never expected the reenactment to end in a real murder. He cares too much for the future of the Magda Grace Mallory Theater - and the charming Cici Wilde - to let her face danger alone. Cici and Audie take a dangerous gamble to nail the killer - and lay their lives on the line.

Hazardous Duty Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Christy Barritt / Kregel Publications She always wanted to be a forensic pathologist. But when circumstances force her to drop out of school, Gabby St. Claire starts a crime scene-cleaning business. Suddenly a routine job turns up a murder weapon, and Gabby and her neighbor Riley realize that the wrong man is behind bars! Will they catch the real killer? 240 pages, softcover from Kregel.

Homicide at Blue Heron Lake Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Susan Page and Megan Davis / Barbour Publishing Emily Grant returns to the lakeside community of Baxter, Maine, expecting a peaceful week in her family's island cottage. Instead, she and her high school crush, Nate Holman, discover the body of Henry Derbin, an elderly island resident. Later, Emily finds another body, buried more than a decade earlier, on Mr. Derbin's land. Can Emily and Nate overcome past hindrances to their romance long enough to dig up clues that will help solve both

Humble Pie, Pippa Hunnechurch Mystery Series #3 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron & Janet Benrey / Broadman / Holman Pippa Hunnechurch's professional reputation is on the line---and her life is in jeopardy. The hottest software company in town has hauled her recruiting firm into court on a charge of "consultant malpractice." A bad situation gets worse when a ruthless industrial spy starts murdering people---and includes Pippa on his hit list. Can she elude the killer and save her company from ruin? 304 pages, softcover from Broadman & Holman.

In Plain Sight, Ivy Malone Mystery Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Baker Ever wonder how a little old lady with possum-gray hair could wind up on a homocidal hit list? Well, nothing is too outlandish for Ivy Malone. She's back and she's brought her mutant curiosity gene with her. And ever since the evil-intentioned Drake Braxton and his family threatened to make roadkill out of Ivy, her life has been crazier than ever!

In The Dead of Winter Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing Samantha "Ivy" Towers returns to Winter Break, Kansas, where she spent her summers as a child, to make funeral arrangements for her Aunt Bitty. While there, she begins to suspect her aunt's death, which resulted from a fall in her bookshop, wasn't an accident after all. Childhood friend, Amos Parker, now sheriff of Winter Break, seems anxious to get Ivy out of town. A missing book, a message scrawled by an unknown person, and an extra coffee cup leaves Ivy with more questions than answers.

Invisible, Ivy Malone Mystery Series #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Baker Meet Ivy Malone, a cursed-with-curiosity widow- turned-detective who wears a whistle necklace and drives an aged Thunderbird. When vandals strike a local cemetery, Ivy springs into action. Suddenly she discovers something ominous---and a woman disappears. Are the events related? Will Ivy's faith and gumption help her solve the mystery? Whimsical suspense! 304 pages, softcover from Revell.

Kitty Litter Killer Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Candice Miller Speare / Barbour Publishing TRISH CUNNINGHAM IS PUSSYFOOTING WITH A MURDERER. Amateur sleuth Trish has retired from her short-lived crime- solving foray. No more walking deliberately into danger. Her short-term goal is to see her best friend, Abbie, marry fiancé, Eric Scott, in three weeks. But the brutal murder of Abbie's ex-husband could ruin the nuptials, especially since Abbie was the last one seen with him-when they had a hostile argument at the local convenience store. With evidence pointing at Abbie and the possibility of jail looming in her best friend's future, Trish comes out of her self-imposed sleuth retirement. And as the clock ticks down to the wedding date, Trish once again puts herself in reach of a murderer's claws-this time to protect her best friend.

Mainely Mysteries Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Susan Davis & Megan Davis / Barbour Publishing Emily Gray returns to the tiny lakeside town of Baxter, Maine, to prepare her mother's island cottage for sale. She doesn't expect to find a murder victim on Grand Cat Island-or to find love when she walks into the Baxter Marina. Is it Nate Holman or the fascinating mysteries that draw her back to the shores of Blue Heron Lake?

May Cooler Heads Prevail Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Teri Dunnegan / Barbour Publishing The last time psychologist Dixie Tanner saw Aaron Scott was 40 years ago. Now he's wrapped in cellophane in her Aunt Connie's flower shop cooler---and her uncle wants Dixie to prove that his wife isn't a killer! Can the family find the murderer before anybody misses the victim---and "somebody" decides they know too much? 256 pages, softcover from Barbour.

Mayhem in Maryland Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Candice Spear / Barbour Publishing Trish Cunningham keeps busy with the demands of husband and family. She certainly doesn't have time to clear her name of murder charges after she makes a quick run to the store, only to find the body of pharmacist Jim Bob Jenkins in the milk case, next to the two percent. Then Trish hits a sour note when she and stepson Tommy discover his English teacher dead in the band room. . .and Tommy is high on the suspect list. Trish hates cats-especially after she finds a body with a clear trail of kitty litter leading away from it. Will her pussyfooting around for clues make her the killer's next victim?

KOZAR, LINDA

Misfortune Cookies Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com by Linda Kozar / Barbour Publishing WHEN EVEN THE FORTUNE COOKIES HINT AT CALAMITY AHEAD, WATCH OUT! Best friends Sue Jan and Lovita run a beauty shop/boutique in the little West Texas town of Wachita. They share a passion for food and fun. But one day, over lunch in a Chinese restaurant, Lovita opens a fortune cookie with a sinister message: "Your father was murdered. . ." a clue that leads them to God, an international spy ring, and several devastatingly handsome strangers. A most unlikely pair of detectives, these girlfriends "comb" the countryside with style, sarcasm, and lots of Szechwan. This tale is like good take-out food-definitely worth bringing home.

Miss Aggie's Gone Missing Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Frances Devine/ Barbour Publishing When Aggie Pennington-Brown mysteriously disappears on the same day the Cedar Chapel bank is robbed, the sheriff assumes she was kidnapped by the robbers, and the whole town seems to agree. Victoria Storm, owner of Cedar Lodge Boarding House and her elderly boarders reluctantly come to the same conclusion. But when secrets from their missing friend's past begin to unfold, a horrible possibility arises. Could someone they know and love have harmed Miss Aggie? Could it be one of them? As Victoria and her elderly friends attempt to solve the mystery and locate Miss Aggie, more secrets are revealed until Victoria begins to wonder if there is anyone she can trust.

Missing Mabel Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing When Hilde Higgins takes a job styling hair at a funeral home, she hardly considers it an adventurous career. But while working on a "client" named Mabel, she realizes she's got the wrong body---and when she points this out to her employer, she's promptly accused of theft! What's going on---and where's the real Mabel? 256 pages, softcover from Barbour.

Murder By Mushroom Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Virginia Smith / Steeple Hill Serving up murderous munchies at a church potluck social wouldn't win any popularity contests, as Jackie Hoffner discovered. Someone had laced the casserole she brought with poisonous mushrooms. and the deadly dish had fellow churchgoer and town fussbudget Alice Farmer pushing up daisies. Now the gossip-hungry townsfolk suspected Jackie of foul play. To prove her innocence, she decided to conduct her own murder investigation, and Trooper Dennis Walsh's helpful efforts and boy-next-door charm were welcome. Meanwhile, the town's mysterious poisoner seemed to have more victims in mind...

Murder In The Milk Case Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Candice Miller Speare / Barbour Publishing When mommy and wife Trish Cunningham finds the body of pharmacist Jim Bob Jenkins behind the two-percent milk, she knows she's having a bad day. Worse, she's a suspect in the case. Sleuthing to exonerate herself from murder charges, she shakes up a murderer who has nothing to lose by killing anyone in the way–including Trish.

Murder On The Ol Bunions Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By S. Dionne Moore / Barbour Publishing LaTisha Barnhart's bunions tell her something's afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employer, Marion Peters. When LaTisha becomes a suspect, the ante is upped, and she is determined to clear her name and find the real culprit.

Nipped in the Bud Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Susan Sleeman / Barbour Publishing PaigeTurner is thrilled to secure a landscaping contract sprucing up the park for the upcoming "Pickle Fest." But when she bickers with a town official---and a day later he's discovered dead in a mound of mulch---she finds herself in . . . well, a pickle! With no alibi, can she prove her innocence? Prepare to attend the Pickle Fest in Serendipity, Oregon, along with Paige Turner and Adam Hayes. But first you must help them unravel the mystery of how the city manager wound up dead in a mound of mulch in the city park that Paige was hired to landscape. Can Adam's knowledge of the law keep her out of jail and win her love?

No Love Lost Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lynn Bulock / Steeple Hill I seem to be gathering quite a collection of murder victims: first my husband, then my contractor. And now my ex-husbands fiancee has turned up dead. But I, Gracie Lee Harris, am on the job-much to the dismay of my boyfriend, homicide detective Ray Fernandez. I have enlisted the ladies of the Christian Friends to help me figure out who killed my ex's sweetie not long before their wedding. My ex is the prime suspect, but his fiancee kept secrets that might have been deadly. I just pray that her secrets don't get me killed!

Nosy in Nebraska Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mary Connealy / Barbour Publishing Mice---and murder---hit rural Melnik, Nebraska! It's a mystery why Carrie Evans has returned home to live in a rodent-infested house. Curator Bonnie Simpson is baffled by a dead body in the museum's storeroom. And attorney Tyler Simpson doesn't have a clue what will happen when he's forced to defend the town's nemesis in court. 352 pages, softcover from Barbour.

Nursing a Grudge Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Chris Well / Barbour Publishing For years, Earl Walker's life has been defined by tragedy: the death of his wife and the bullet that ended his bus driving career. So when Jenny Hutton takes him to a party to meet other people his age, he's not surprised when a man dies. Can Earl find the murderer before all the suspects are "gone"? 256 pages, softcover from Barbour.

Of Mice and Murder Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com by Mary Coneally / Barbour Publishing BEING NAMED IN GREATGRANDMA'S WILL WAS LIKE HITTING BANKRUPT ON WHEEL OF FORTUNE. The whole family held their breath while the wheel ticked around and around-or rather while the lawyer opened the envelope. Then they all heaved a sigh of relief when the wheel stopped on Carrie Evans's name. Carrie the heiress. Great. Clean up the house. Clean up the yard. Clean up Great-Grandma's rap sheet. Carrie hates mice and loves the big city. So why is she living in a huge mouse-infested house in her dinky hometown? The dead guy in her pantry closet is the most interesting thing that's happened since she came home. Of course, the carpenter who's helping her trap her mice and solve the crime is pretty interesting, too.

On the Run, Ivy Malone Mystery Series #3 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Baker Super senior sleuth Ivy Malone is spunkier than Miss Marple, with a curiosity that just won't quit. That inquisitiveness has gotten her into plenty of trouble, including murder, mayhem, and a place on a mini-Mafia hit list. Now Ivy's headed across country with a stray cat ans God as her only companions. But just when she thinks she's safe, two dead bodies turn up--discovered by Ivy, of course.

Pedigreed Bloodlines By Sandra Robbins / Barbour Publishing Pedigreed Bloodlines, set in the fictional Smoky Mountain Resort town of St. Claire, North Carolina, introduces Leigh Dennison as the antique dealer turned sleuth when the woman who has been like a mother to her is murdered. Leigh who struggles with ADD, her best friend Marcie Payton, and Blake Cameron, the love of her life, will return in two more adventures.

Poly Dents Loses Grip Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By S. Dionne Moore/ Barbour Publishing WHO SAYS EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR ONE'S HEALTH? CERTAINLY NOT POLLY DENT!Polly Dent Loses Grip on the treadmill and takes a fatal spill that's ruled an accident. While helping her mother-in-law move into Bridgeton Towers Assisted Living & Nursing, LaTisha Barnhart's nose smells trouble simmering. The residents' gossip is revealing all kinds of motives for murder. Can LaTisha stay on her achin' feet, and one step ahead of the villain, long enough to solve yet another crime?

Pride and Pestilence Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mary Connealy / Barbour Publishing PEST CONTROL TAKES ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING IN MELNIK, NEBRASKA. . . . Joe Manning comes to Melnik, Nebraska, to finally meet his runaway father-only to find dear old dad is dead. Murdered. Joe's bad attitude makes him the prime suspect, even though he supposedly never met the man. Besides, lots of people had a motive to kill Sven Gunderson, including Bonnie Simpson, curator of Melnik's Historical Society Museum (and home of Maxie, the World's Largest Field Mouse.) After all, Gunderson did commit the ultimate Melnik crime. He claimed to be Maxie's true owner-and he wanted his mouse back. In Melnik, any threat to Maxie means war!

Recipe For Murder Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lisa Harris / Barbour Publishing Pricilla never expected to be involved in a real life mystery, but that's exactly where she finds herself when she joins her son at his hunting lodge in the beautiful Colorado mountains. A superb cook and articulate hostess, Priscilla plans an informal buffet for the guests at her son's hunting lodge. But the dinner party turns to chaos when a guest is found dead after sampling one of her salmon-filled tartlets.

Rest in Peace Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Frances Devine / Barbour Publishing In Cedar Chapel, Where Victoria Storm runs a senior boardinghouse, things are quiet. That is, until she enters the local pet store and finds Clyde Foster, the owner, dead, and his parrot, Watzit, frantically screeching. What clues will this bird reveal regarding a murder most foul? Unable to resist a mystery, Victoria, her fiance' Benjamin, and her senior cohorts begin their own investigation, landing them headfirst in a dangerous adventure. When their friend, Miss Aggie disappears, leaving a blood-stained trail, no one seems safe. Will Victoria live long enough to unravel the clues and tie the knot?

Romance Rustlers and Thunderbird Thieves Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Sharon Dunn / Kregel Publications No one makes a fool of Ruby Taylor...or her friends. A tough cookie with an attitude, but also a soft heart, Ruby finds herself in a perilous search for a young man who disapppeared just days before he was to be married. Her sometimes harrowing yet often hilarious quest to right the wrongs of love pit her against helicopters, wild buffalo, and some desperate people who have every reason to want Ruby to fail.

Sassy Cinderella & the Valiant Vigilante Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Sharon Dunn / Kregel Publications When a professor at a local university dies, Ruby Taylor is hired to fill his shoes. Along with a frozen corpse and midnight intruders, this sassy Cinderella has to deal with lost love and a family that defines the word dysfunctional. Deadly university politics turn personal as Ruby works to straighten out a mystery that has more twists than a silly

Scoop, Occupational Hazard Series #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rene Gutteridge / Random House, Inc TV news producer Hugo Talley is desperate to boost ratings and attract a younger demographic. But an aging anchorwoman, a know-it-all weatherman, a reporter who shuns sensationalism, and young Hayden Hazard---an assistant who can't leave her faith outside the newsroom---are jeopardizing Hugo's dreams. Will Hayden's personal convictions destroy Channel 7's shot at success? 352 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.

Skid Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rene Gutteridge / Waterbrook Press Blissfully unaware that Atlantica Flight 1945 from Atlanta to Amsterdam is about to make aviation history, First Officer Danny McSweeney focuses his energies on navigating the turbulent personalities of an eccentric female captain, a co-pilot with a talent for tactless comments and conspiracy theories, and a lead flight attendant with an outsized attitude that definitely exceeds the limits for carry- on baggage. On the other side of the cockpit door, the unscheduled in-flight entertainment includes a potbellied pig, a jittery diamond courier, and the recently jilted Lucy Meredith, whose personal mantra of "What Would Oprah Do?" will be challenged by the sudden appearance of her ex and his new traveling partner. On her left sits Hank Hazard, whose unusually polite but constant requests-prompted by his covert role as a spy for the airline-test the limits of the crews customer service.

Snitch, Occupational Hazard Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Rene Gutteridge / Random House, Inc Convinced that he's going to die of boredom, Las Vegas police sergeant Ron Yeager comes out of retirement to head an auto theft undercover team filled with inexperienced egos and eccentrics who couldn't sneak up on a statue! Will Yeager's force be transformed in time to stop a bigger crime than any of them expected? 352 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.

Stranded, Ivy Malone Mystery Series #4 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Baker Meet a cursed-with-curiosity-widow-turned- detective whose snooping has landed her on the Mafia hit list! On the run from the mob, Ivy, her traveling companion, and a stray cat are invited to stay in an old Victorian house owned by a compassionate attorney. But when Ivy discovers that her benefactor may be a murderer, she's on the case---and in over her head! 320 pages, softcover from Revell.

Suspicious Minds: A Novel Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Christy Barritt / Kregel Publications Elvis has definitely not left the building! That's what crime-scene cleaner Gabby St. Clair discovers when she does mold remediation at a dilapidated old house. To her surprise, she finds the dead "King" in a crawlspace--- still wearing his blue suede shoes. There's no way she can keep her nose out of a case like this! 240 pages, softcover from Kregel.

The Blue Moon Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Ideals Publications Inc A stunning blue diamond necklass mysteriously turns up in Abigail Stanton's office, and the note attaches simply says, "For Claudia." But who is Claudia? And where did the necklace come from? As Abby begins to investigate, she discovers that she holds a very valuable gem called The Blue Moon.

The Buck Stops Here, Million Dollar Mystery Series #5 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers When Callie learns that the man she loves is somehow connected to the man who killed her late husband, she confronts Tom. But he informs her that his hands are tied by the National Security Agency and he can tell her nothing. Despite the secrecy surrounding Tom and the NSA, Callie decides to find out for herself exactly what is going on and how Tom may have been involved in her husband's death. Using her investigative skills, Callie throws herself into the most important mystery she has ever attempted to solve. Will their affection be able to stand the strain? And what was God's plan in bringing Tom and Callie together--marriage or merely answers for her questions about Bryan's death.

The Camera Never Lies Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Elizabeth Goddard / Barbour Publishing Photographer extraordinaire Polly Perkins is fascinated by people. But when a friend hires her for a wedding at an Oregon national park, she captures a murder victim instead! Will her uncanny ability to read emotion through a camera lens help her prevent another crime---and maybe zoom in on a chance for romance, too? 256 pages, softcover from Barbour.

A.K. ARENZ

The Case of the Bouncing Grandma Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By A. K. Arenz / Sheaf House Publishers A broken leg confining her to a wheelchair, Glory Harper's itching for excitement. While watching new neighbors move in, she spies a foot dangling from a rolled carpet---but nobody believes her! Wheeling through her own investigation, the gutsy grandmother soon suspects there's more than murder afoot! Can she nail the culprits---before they find her? 267 pages, softcover from Sheaf.

The Final Crumpet, The Royal Tunbridge Mystery Series #2 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Ron & Janet Benrey / Barbour Publishing Etienne Makepeace, England's celebrated "Tea Sage," vanished without a trace in 1966, leaving the whole of Great Britain wondering what became of the famed radio personality. Forty years is hastily buried remains are discovered beneath two sickly Assam tea bushes in the Royal Tunbridge Wells Tea Museaum's tea garden--along with the pistol that killed him. Nigel Owens, curator, and Flick Adams, tea chemist, are thus embroiled in the second mystery to threaten the integrity of the museum. Are they in over their heads this time?

The Gold Standard Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lisa Lickel / Barbour Publishing JUST HOW HIGH A PRICE DOES BURIED TREASURE COMMAND? School teacher Judy Winters sets out to solve the mystery surrounding her aunt Louise's murder back on the family farm. Amid her sleuthing, Judy encounters Hart Wingate, a young man who rented the adjoining farm and helped Aunt Louise with farm chores. When Judy learns her boyfriend, Graham, has been secretly visiting Louise, she decides to move away from him for the summer and think over the situation. As Judy explores her aunt's house, she finds and follows clues in Louise's mother's diary to unearth buried treasure. But was the treasure behind Louise's murder?

Perfect Match Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Cynthia Hickey / Barbour Publishing Shortly after Devin Peterson signs up at the local dating service the Perfect match the business is set on fire. When Devin's mom, Annie, vows to find the culprit, suspects abound. Is the arsonist the financially strapped widow who runs the matchmaking service; the bitter newspaper editor who rues the day he wed his "unfortunate match"; the unsatisfied forty-something customer who's never found her ideal mate; or the investigator with a shady past? Will Annie and her cast of cohorts solve the crime before another arson reignites the citizens of Clarksborough? Will Devin find Ms. Right before anything else goes wrong?

The Trouble with Tulip, A Smart Chick Mystery #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Mindy Starns Clark / Harvest House Publishers It seems wherever advice columnist Josephine Tulip goes, trouble follows. When a body is found next door and her neighbor is arrested for murder, Jo and her photographer friend Danny investigate. Will they untangle the mystery before the killer strikes again? Can Danny muster the courage to tell Jo how he feels about her? 300 pages, softcover from

The Wedding Caper, Bridal Mayhem Mystery Series #1 Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Janice A. Thompson / Barbour Publishing When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson, has reason to be concerned and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband's job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can't imagine it. Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending. Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that. . .doesn't she?

The Wiles of Watermelon Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lynette Sowell / Barbour Publishing Newlywed Andi Hartley is not at all sure she's ready to look like an over-ripe melon. . . In fact, she's still getting used to being married. But her husband, Ben, wants to start a family right away. Gulp. Their family plans are put on hold, however, when Andi's kitten runs from the house to their watermelon field and digs up a bone attached to the remains of a thirty-year-old skeleton. Buried secrets come to life. . .and then the colorful owner of Greenburg's best eatery is murdered. As Andi unearths more and more of the suspicious history surrounding the skeleton, she realizes both deaths are related. Is she also about to unearth a murderer?

There Goes Santa Claus Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com by Nancy Mehl / Barbour Publishing IVY TOWERS-TUCKER IS LOOKING FORWARD TO HER FIRST CHRISTMAS AS A MARRIED WOMAN. . . . But a few days before December 25, Ivy and her husband Amos are awakened by noises on their rooftop. Amos's joke that Santa Claus must have arrived early loses its humor when a body goes fl ying past their second-story window. A look outside reveals two legs covered in red velvet trousers and black boots sticking out of a snow bank! Ivy and Amos are even more surprised to fi nd they belong to a dead man dressed as Santa Claus. The story circulates quickly through the small town of Winter Break that Ivy and Amos have killed Santa. Who is the dead man and why was he on their roof? Ivy has a Christmas mystery to solve that will bring a satisfying conclusion to the Ivy Towers Mystery series.

Treasure at Blue Heron Lake Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Susan Page Davis and Megan Davis / Barbour Publishing Jeff Lewis's hunting lodge is plagued by an intruder who thumps around in the night. Emily Gray and Nate Holman try to help their friend discover who is invading the resort. Things turn more sinister when one of Jeff's employees is murdered, with Jeff as a suspect. Is the legend of an old lumber baron's lost treasure behind the crimes? In the midst of the turmoil, Nate proposes to Emily. Their life together begins with unmasking the murderer at Lakeview Lodge.

Treasure Under Finny's Nose Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Dana Mentink / Barbour Publishing A TREASURE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN. A MURDERER ROAMING THE QUIET STREETS OF FINNY. WILL RUTH FIND THE STRENGTH TO WITHSTAND MURDER, MAYHEM. . .AND MOMMYHOOD? It's the 150th anniversary of the wreck of the Triton, a ship that foundered off the coast of Finny, California. A team of college students arrives to fi lm a documentary, and a pregnant Ruth is pressed into service. She must reenact the life of survivor Indigo Orson, a woman who managed the perils of gold rush California by disguising herself as a man. Indigo's writing reveals there was treasure aboard the Triton, a treasure shrouded in secrecy. While her beloved husband, Monk, is away, Ruth stumbles on the body of one of the film crew. His death turns out to be the furthest thing from an accident. Adding to the chaos, Ruth's estranged son arrives and Monk's niece faces heartbreak at the hands of Finny's police detective. Faced with murder, mayhem, and mommyhood, Ruth had better find some answers fast.

Trouble Up Finny's Nose Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Dana Mentink / Barbour Publishing Dead bodies in the fountain? The discovery of her late husband's secret novel? Come join Ruth Budge in the not so quiet town of Finny, California where trouble doesn't stay buried for long.

When Bobbie Sang the Blues Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Peggy Darty / Random House, Inc Christy's Aunt Bobbie loves collecting oddities. But when her ex-husband's body is discovered in her old pickle barrel, Bobbie becomes a suspect. Can Christy find the real killer? 352 pages, softcover.

When the Sandpiper Calls Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Peggy Darty / Random House, Inc Christy Castleman has a gift for writing best-selling mysteries. Suddenly she's thrust into the role of a real-life sleuth when she finds an antique bottle containing a desperate plea for help. With the aid of the local Red Hat Society, she tries to determine who wrote the note. Can she discover that person's whereabouts before it's too late? 352 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.

When Zeffie Got a Clue Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Peggy Darty / Waterbrook Press It's an ordinary afternoon in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide- eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Clutching a jewelry box, Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs money to pay her grandmother's medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth-or so she thinks. But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box's lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite warnings from her family and handsome boyfriend Dan Brockman, Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother's farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Strickland plantation and ask around

Where The Truth Lies Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Elizabeth Ludwig & Janelle Mowery/ Barbour Publishing A case of suicide leads an amateur sleuth on a trail of deceit and corruption… Casey Alexander refuses to believe her aunt committed suicide. Convinced a murderer is hiding out in her aunt's sleepy hometown, she'll do anything to uncover the truth. But as her personal investigation produces mounting evidence, the danger to Casey grows. Now she'll be forced to trust certain residents of Pine Mills for help, including local nursery owner, Luke Kerrigan. . .the man with whom she's falling love. . .and who may be stalking her. Prompted by strange clues and a mysterious stranger, Casey does a little more digging. The secrets she unearths will turn lives upside down and threaten the peace in Pine Mills' small community-especially when she discovers that the truth can sometimes be hidden in a lie.

Worth its Weight in Old Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By K. D. Hays / Barbour Publishing PAINTINGS SLASHED. . . FURNITURE BROKEN . . . SOMEONE IS WREAKING HAVOC AT THE BLUE MOON ART & ANTIQUES GALLERY. Fledgling private investigator Karen Maxwell goes undercover as a salesclerk to find out who's behind the vandalism-and why. She learns little from Vicki, a friendly clerk who, aside from her designer clothes and sports car, seems interested only in rearranging pictures to display them to maximum advantage. Eric, the shop's surly, tight-lipped porter, would run her over with a hand truck before he'd answer any questions. The guilt may even lay with the shop owners themselves, despite the fact that they're the ones who hired her. Karen's investigation seems to be going nowhere. . .just like her once-promising relationship with Brian, the handsome blacksmith who could sweep her off her feet in a minute-if he'd ever take a break from working with the church youth group. If Karen can't crack the case soon, she may find herself busted back to plain and old office manager, and her dreams of a career as a private investigator-and a life with Brian-as old and busted as the Blue Moon's vandalized antiques.

Your Chariot Awaits: An Andi McConnell Mystery Click title to read excerpt or buy from CBD.com By Lorena McCourtney / Thomas Nelson During just one week, Andi McConnell turns 60, loses her job, inherits a limousine, breaks up with her boyfriend---then finds his body in the car! With the help of former TV detective Fitz, Andi hunts for the killer. Will her diligent---and clumsy---sleuthing keep the cops from blaming the murder on her? 320 pages, softcover from WestBow.