Mystery Reads

Whiskey Thief by Chris Bostic

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Whiskey Thief by Chris Bostic

When their Kentucky bourbon tour takes a turn for the worse, two engaged couples join up with strangers to seek shelter in the ruins of an old distillery. Grace encounters more than abandoned spirits on the decaying property, bringing her semi-comfortable world crashing down.
Tensions pull at the group, splintering the couples into teams. Only it’s hard for Grace to know what side to be on when bonds are tested, and opposites no longer attract. Questions abound. Who really are the strangers they paired up with? Should she break convenient bonds for a risky one? Then again, does it even matter if they don’t make it out alive?
Please be advised – The Bourbon Country Series features fast-paced adult psychological thrillers where sexual assault, PTSD, self-blame, and functional alcoholism combine to form a potent blend. Recommended for mature audiences, ages 18+

Prepper Mountain by Chris Bostic

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Prepper Mountain by Chris Bostic

School’s getting out for the summer, and Zach has finally worked up the courage to ask Katelyn to walk home with him—only to find the Feds parked in his driveway again. His unemployed accountant father is an outspoken critic of the recent default on the crushing national debt, which brings on most of their problems with the law. But his mother is the real complication when it comes to bringing potential girlfriends over to the house. She’s a fanatical prepper.
Though Zach can’t see the imminent danger, his parents whisk his family away to the Great Smoky Mountains in case the entire country crumbles into martial law. When the new regime’s drones circle like buzzards and the bombs start falling, someone has to be the resistance….

The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad

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The Frights of Fiji by Sunayna Prasad

A world of magic and adventure awaits…

Sent to live with her strict, aloof, and uncaring uncle after her parents are killed in a car accident, twelve-year-old orphan Alyssa McCarthy longs for the life she used to have—one filled with fun and love. Then one stormy night, a message appears in the raindrops on the window that will change everything.

“Your life will never be the same again, as magic will interfere.”

Before long, Alyssa is kidnapped by Master Beau, a banished sorcerer with a mysterious connection to her who can only regain his power by weakening hers. Suddenly hurled into a world of wizardry filled with fantastical beasts and marvelous technology beyond her wildest imagination, Alyssa must defeat Master Beau if she ever wants to get home again. But Master Beau will stop at nothing, including using Alyssa’s friends, to ensure he is triumphant.

Originally titled “From Frights to Flaws”, this story is the exciting and enchanting first book in the “Magical Missions” series.

Pinot Noir by Lorraine Evanoff

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Louise Moscow hops from one undercover assignment to another, aided by both a curiosity about how the world works and a determination to make it work for her. Equal parts scholar and sensualist, she will find out the answer but enjoy herself while doing so. One moment she’s deploying her brand of “forensic accounting” to uncover some obscure financial information that may blow up the case; the next she’s swooning over the complex “barnyard smells” of a particular Burgundy. Evanoff is clearly besotted with French history and effectively blends it with her heroine’s struggles against uncooperative witnesses, a mysterious vine disease, a gun-wielding monk, and a secret society. Moscow glides through it all with a James Bondian flair. Able to handle a high-powered speedboat, an ex-lover, or a ginger-haired villain with equal ease, this international spy is a protagonist you’ll want to follow.

Targeted Age Group:: 15 and up

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
Before I even began writing PINOT NOIR, I had already decided to make Book Two a fictionalized version of the real-life ‘bankers grave’ scandal, the un-solved murder of billionaire Edmund J. Safra. My mother suggested the title during an event associated with my first novel, FOLIAGE. It stuck with me, and I began my research of Pinot Noir wine, which pointed to the Burgundy region of France. What shocked me was the real-life crimes of the region I discovered, which were linked to high level public officials leading all the way to the capital of the European Union, Brussels, Belgium.

Foliage by Lorraine Evanoff

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Investment banker Louise Moscow loves her new career in late 1980s Paris. With a high-profile dream job wooing rich clientele, she enjoys the lavish lifestyle in a glamorous city. When she stumbles upon criminal activity at her company, the FBI and CIA force her to cooperate and bring down the murderous bankers in what turns out to be one of the greatest financial scandals of the twentieth century.

Targeted Age Group:: 18-80

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
When I lived in Paris, several of my close friends worked at the BCCI Paris branch. When the bottom fell out, they lost their jobs and it was a really big deal. When I decided to write my novel around that scandal and began to dig deeper, I realized how complicated the story was and I needed to conduct more research beyond what I learned from my friends. The opening scene of my book was my invention, but was loosely based an event mentioned in a book called “The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI,” written by journalists Jonathan Beaty and S.C. Gwynne. I found more helpful facts in the “Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate,” by Senator John Kerry and Senator Hank Brown. (Toni Nealie)

Britfield and the Lost Crown by C. R. Stewart

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Tom has spent the majority of his life locked behind the cruel walls of Weatherly Orphanage, but when he learns that his parents might actually be alive, Tom is determined to find them. Together, with his best friend Sarah and armed with only the word “Britfield” as a clue to Tom’s mysterious past, the two make a daring escape. Now, they are on the run from a famous Scotland Yard detective and what appears to be half of the police officers in England! The hunt is on, but will Tom & Sarah be able to evade capture long enough to solve an even bigger conspiracy that could tear apart the country?

Award-Winning Britfield & the Lost Crown by C.R. Stewart, is the first book in a thrilling seven-part series based on family, friendship, loyalty, and courage that is written for pre-teens, Y/A, and readers of all ages. Britfield and its heroes, Tom and Sarah, take readers on an epic adventure across England. With its stimulating language and stunning historical and geographical asides, Britfield engages the reader from the very first pages and doesn’t let go until it reaches its exciting conclusion!

“Such a thrilling book filled with so much awesome history about England, crazy mysteries, and truly amazing characters. It had me hooked every second of reading it! I can’t wait for the sequel.” – Hannah, 13, Kids’ Book Buzz – 5 Stars!

Targeted Age Group:: 9-12

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
It started as a sketch I did of a hot air balloon with a young boy and girl trapped inside. From this simple drawing sprang the entire concept and story for Britfield. I also liked the idea of adventure, exploration and freedom—seeing an extraordinary country for the first time: moving from place to place, enjoying spectacular scenery and exciting events, learning new things, meeting people, making friends and having hope for a better future. I like that not everything is what it seems. Not everyone is who you think they are: the simple often can become great, the great often turn out to be simple. Everyone has a unique story.

Catastrophe ~ A Highland Murder Most Fowl by Lucinda Hare

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Catastrophe ~ A Highland Murder Most Fowl by Lucinda Hare

Charming protagonists, reprehensible relatives, with an edge-of-your-seat conclusion, as seen through the eyes of the irrepressible feline hero! Looking forward to more adventures with Mary, George, and Catastrophe! Amazon.com *****review

An absolutely wonderful book for children and adults! Very well written, and the description of the Highlands where Catastrophe lives is enchanting. As is Catastrophe himself, and his exciting tale. This writer is the first since J K Rowling that can make me laugh and cry while reading her books. I could not put this book down! Highly recommended! Amazon.co.uk ***** review

A wildcat moves softly through his Highland world describing it through feline eyes in exquisite golden detail. Scent is a language of its own. His is an elemental world of rain and snow, of forest, moorland and mountain. A world of changing seasons and the endless dance of life and death; predator and prey. Although the wildcat’s home is a world of poetic beauty it is also one of sudden terrifying violence where the ultimate predator is mankind. Shot deliberately by a gamekeeper on a shooting estate the wildcat nearly dies before being rescued by a young couple. After a spell in the vets he convalesces in their Perthshire cottage where he learns to love their old bony cat, Haggis, and author Mary, The hunting moon is barely on the rise when bad news arrives from the solicitors. Mary’s beloved Aunt Edith suddenly dies and the couple head north into the Highlands with Catastrophe. Arriving at Driechandubh Castle, where Mary was raised by Aunt Edith, they barely escape with their lives as a large chunk of masonry ‘accidentally’ falls in a storm. Things don’t improve as they meet odious Aunt Maud, Edith’s envious sister who has ensconced herself in the castle like a cuckoo, under the pretext of nursing Edith. As an apex predator Catastrophe instinctively sees through Maud’s charade as the grieving sister: he can scent her underlying fear and hostility at her niece’s unexpected arrival, and hear the falsehood in her voice. Aunt Maud is hiding a terrible secret. Aunt Maud mistakenly sees Catastrophe merely as a fashion accessory. Divided by mutual loathing Catastrophe finds himself drawn into a web of intrigue, murder and adventure that will test our magnificent wildcat sleuth to his limits. Can Catastrophe unravel odious Aunt Maud’s dastardly plans before it’s too late?

Fire on the Mountain; A Detective Mike Eiser Novel by Clabe Polk

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Peter Standwick did one thing wrong; he got killed.

The dead ‘cook’ for Jack Haven’s crank operation was found with Jack’s wife Susan’s cross and its broken chain in his pocket. How did it get there?

Mike Eiser needs to know.

Jack’s lab where Stanwick worked is torched. Susan is beaten severely; and then, Jack dies in a traffic accident. Was it an accident, or murder? Who burned the lab and why? Who assaulted Susan?

Mike Eiser needs to know.

According to DEA, there are undiscovered clandestine methamphetamine labs in Jericho County. Will Eiser’s murder investigation point the way to them?

The Havens are bootleggers whose history stretches back to reconstruction. Progressing from bootlegging moonshine whiskey to growing and distributing marijuana, Jack and Jason Haven, the latest generation of Havens, produce and distribute crank. However, tensions between family members threaten to destroy the Haven family from within. Have those tensions exploded? Susan is pawn in a game between brothers; but is she a victim? A survivor? Or the flame that lights the powder keg?

Mike Eiser needs to know.

Can Mike Eiser, Arson Investigator Donna Miley, and Mike’s partner, Detective Malcom “Mini” Moore, sort out the Haven family’s entangled motives and wade through piles of twisted and confused evidence to solve multiple murders?

Mike Eiser needs to know.

Targeted Age Group:: 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
When big city crime bleeds over into smaller nearby town it affects the lives of the residents. The Detective Mike Eiser Series deals with investigations focused on big city crimes played out in the fictional small Georgia town of Poplar Bluffs…a town that receives city crime influences from Atlanta and Augusta. The result is suspenseful, entertaining and action-packed. This book was a based on the question "What if an old time family of mountain bootleggers progressed through multiple generations into distributing pot and methamphetamine? What could be the likely impact in the present generation on the family members and the community?

The Flames of Time by Peter Knyte

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Africa in the 1930s, and after a group of friends discover the remains of a buried temple, they find hints to an even larger secret.
But there are those who will stop at nothing to keep that secret buried.

A vintage style adventure story which spans some of the great sites of antiquity in search for an ancient secret.

Targeted Age Group:: 20+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
My main inspiration was not being able to find the kind of historic adventure mystery that I like to read.
I've always been a fan of books like 'She', 'King Solomon's Mines', '20,000 Leagues Beneath the Sea' and 'The Count of Monte Christo'. But after a while, finding new titles in this genre gets quite difficult because this style of writing has been out of fashion for quite a long time.
Eventually, I decided to have a go at writing something myself, and several years later the first book in the 'Flames of Time' series was born.

Twin Time by Olga Werby

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Twin Time by Olga Werby

Alex and Sasha are twin sisters, physically identical down to their freckles. But the resemblance is only skin deep—Sasha is profoundly autistic, while Alex is not. Sasha can’t communicate and acts bizarrely, and the family revolves around her and her intense needs. Yet the aged, wealthy, and mysterious Aunt Nana seems to have a particular interest in both girls. Offering a helping hand, she encourages the family to move to San Francisco to be near her. And when the young twins discover a tunnel in Nana’s tool shed, it leads them on a journey across the world and back 100 years in time. The tunnel is a pathway to the Firebird Estate, the home of their ancestors, located in rural Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century. Even more remarkable, through the effect that twisting time has on cognition, Sasha is not autistic when she’s at the Firebird Estate. Now, growing up in two strikingly different times and places, the twins must face their separate destinies among the ravages of the incipient Russian Revolution. Can they save their families on both sides of the tunnel? Can they simultaneously stay true to their own hearts, to each other, and to the people they left behind? Each sister must face her own personal challenge — but only together can they discover their own future within their family’s past.