Mystery Reads

Featured Book: Twilight’s Last Glory by Stephen C. Perkins

America’s game…
A global spectacle of triumph and anguish. A grand pageant of violence and drama. And now with its first female superstar…a spectacular experiment that may change the world!
In a world secretly ruled by an organized crime pyramid with strange and mystical powers, crime lord Gigi Salerno is the sinister hand casting the ultimate fate of victory or defeat.
But when a brilliant team doctor envisions future WFFL rosters filled out with AI, Salerno’s masters secretly decide he’s expendable.
Now threatened by the intrepid ambitions of a young sports columnist determined to expose the Octagonal while faced with the covert maneuvering of a once trustworthy lieutenant and the conflicted loyalties of an unscrupulous general manager, Salerno is confronted with a dilemma and, he may have to befriend his enemies to vanquish his double crossing masters.
Will he survive long enough to capture what he secretly most: the reluctant affections of a beautiful woman?

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Murder Among The Tombstones (A Clara and Iris Mystery Series) by Kim Carter

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A Clara and Iris Mystery

When Atlanta homicide detectives are called in to investigate the murder of a nineteen-year-old girl found dumped in historic Oakland Cemetery, they immediately begin working the case. But with no leads to follow, and their case log growing larger by the day, the murder quickly grows cold.

Desperate to keep the investigation of her deceased sister going, Ginger Baines hires two novice sleuths to solve the case. Widowed, well into their seventies, and new to the world of private investigating, Clara Samples and Iris Hadley aren’t your average private eyes.

When a second body is found in a neighboring cemetery, the plot thickens. With two bodies wrapped, almost lovingly, in a soft blanket before being discarded in a cemetery, could a serial killer be on the loose?
Joined by their young apprentice Quita, Clara and Iris are determined to stop at nothing to find the killer before they can strike again.
But, will their bodies be the next ones discovered among the tombstones?

~Killer Nashville Review & Mystery Finalist for The Falchion Award …
Kim Carter has given us the second in her Clara and Iris Mystery series, Murder Among the Tombstones. Part cozy, part police procedural, Clara Samples and Iris Hadley are septuagenarians who decide to begin their second careers, by opening a private investigation agency in one of the rougher areas of Atlanta. Sounds like a perfect fit, except Iris doesn’t like to drive in traffic or at night, and Clara doesn’t have a lot of confidence. And did I mention a little thing called technology? … Ms. Carter surrounds her stories with very colorful characters. She lives in Atlanta, so she gives us a very realistic picture of the city and its citizens. look forward to reading more of the series and watching the faceoff between two very different generations. A fun series but with an opportunity to hold a mirror up to ourselves.

Targeted Age Group:: 16 and up

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I've been writing mysteries since 1999 when I became ill and housebound for a couple of years. I've always been inspired by beautiful and sometimes haunting places and always loved reading about them and figured I'd try my hand at writing haunting mysteries. Many of the novels remained on my computer for years before friends encouraged me to put them in print.

The characters introduced in my new mystery series 'A Clara and Iris Mystery' with book one 'Sweet Dreams Baby Belle' where Clara and Iris are introduced and now fully developed in book two of 'Murder Among The Tombstones' where both very good friends of my mother and knew they had to be a part of this series!

I will be writing a book from here in this series that takes place in each State of the US, which begins, of course, in both of book one and two in and around historical sites of Atlanta, GA. My third has released of this series, as the mystery takes place in Seattle, WA.
I am currently writing and finishing the next one, book four takes place in New Orleans titled; "Murder On The Bayou." So readers watch for it soon!

Featured Book: Dead Cold by Jennifer Chase

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What happens when one California community has a disturbing spike in homicides? It catapults cops into a deadly game of murder. Frozen human body parts hideously displayed at the crime scenes offers a horrifying interpretation that only a sadistic serial killer could design—and execute.

On the hunt for a complex serial killer, vigilante detective Emily Stone must face her most daring case yet. Stone’s proven top-notch profiling skills and forensic expertise may not be enough this time.

Young and ambitious, Detective Danny Starr, catches the homicide cases and discovers that it will test everything he knows about police work and the criminal mind. Can he handle these escalating cases or will the police department have to call in reinforcements—the FBI.

Emily Stone’s covert team pushes with extreme urgency to unravel the grisly clues, while keeping their identities hidden from the police. With one last-ditch effort, Stone dangles someone she loves as bait to draw out the killer. She then forces the killer out of their comfort zone with her partner Rick Lopez, and with help from a longtime friend Jordan Smith. A revelation of the serial killer’s identity leaves the team with volatile emotions that could destroy them.

The killer continues to taunt and expertly manipulate the police, as well as Stone’s team, and as they run out of time—they leave behind everyone and everything—in Dead Cold.

Buy Dead Cold Here

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The Seventh Guard: Destiny Expires by Francis Halpin

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A severely sarcastic and disgruntled Best Buy employee, Robert Lowden, unravels a new fate, far beyond his frustrating existence as a repair agent. After discovering a mysterious message hidden in the underpinnings of our everyday world he feels compelled to follow it . . . wherever it may lead.

Robert embarks on a dangerous and fast-paced adventure that tests the strength of his relationships and his physical and mental fortitude, while a menacing opponent works to end his journey and his life.

Targeted Age Group:: 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
A flickering fluorescent light in a restroom.

Featured Book: Lethal in Old Lace by Duffy Brown

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1.99 Amazon Monthly Deal
In Savannah there are two things guaranteed to get folks talking…weddings and funerals. Reagan Summerside agreed to marry the delish Walker Boone and her neighbors, Annie Fritz and Elsie Abbot, have stepped up their business as professional mourners to assure one and all a memorable sendoff. This seems like a good idea until bodies go missing and the sisters are accused of knocking people off for profit. Reagan needs to find the killer to save her friends while everyone with an opinion tries to hijack her wedding plans.

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Featured Book: The Future Memoir of Ann Jones by Alex Bailey

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How can Ann Jones be a widow before her husband’s even dead?

When the perfectly-normal Ann Jones rants on about a bizarre and hauntingly immersive vision into her own future, her best friend, Alex, thinks she may have taken a swig or two.

After her freak encounter, Ann recounts the strange and foreboding glimpse of her future life—one that holds an unanticipated exuberance: her beloved husband dies suddenly (and questionably); she moves to the East Coast; finds love again; joins a peculiar knitting club (full of the strangest assortment of women, none of whom actually knit, but all of whom follow cult-like rules—such as, “What Happens in Knitting Club Stays in Knitting Club”); and becomes deliriously happy.

Her whole recollection leaves Alex’s head spinning with one question—has her friend totally lost it? How could anyone be deliriously happy about joining a knitting club? But when Ann presses Alex for an answer about what to do with this “future life vision experience”, Alex must decide whether this strange anecdote is just a desire to be free from Ann’s humdrum existence or a self-fulfilling prophecy. Should Alex support her friend’s “new life” or warn Ann’s husband about his impending doom…

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The Future Memoir of Ann Jones by Alex Bailey

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When the perfectly-normal Ann Jones rants on about a bizarre and hauntingly immersive vision into her own future, her best friend, Alex, thinks she may have taken a swig or two.

Targeted Age Group:: Adult

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
My friend, Ann Jones inspired it. As I reveal in the book, she described every detail of this mysterious future vision of hers. I didn't figure out what was actually happening until the end of her story. And then I had a decision to make. But, well, I don't want to ruin anything for the reader, so I'll leave it at that.

Nocturnal Meetings of the Misplaced by R.J. Garcia

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Mystery surrounds the town of Summertime, Indiana, where fifteen-year-old Tommy Walker and his little sister are sent to live with relatives they’ve never met. Tommy soon makes friends with Finn Wilds, a rebellious local
Finn invites Tommy to late night meetings in the woods, where Tommy gets to know two girls. He forms a special and unique connection with both girls. The meetings become a place where the kids, who don’t fit in at school, or home can finally belong. As the group of friends begin to unravel clues to a cold case murder and kidnapping— they learn the truth is darker and closer than they ever imagined. Even if they live to tell, will anyone believe them?

Targeted Age Group:: 13 plus

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
An interest in cold case murder and foster kids I worked with it as a social worker were my inspiration.

The Iron Collar, A Joi Sommers Mystery by Susan D. Peters

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Four years after closing the gruesome murder of church Elder Dennis Gregg, Detective Joi Sommers and her partner Russell Wilkerson are summoned to a South Suburban commuter college where the body of a sexy coed is found garroted in the chemistry lab. From their first horrified glimpse at the corpse they recognize they have been tasked with an extraordinary case.
The evidentiary trail leads them to similarly murdered victims. Is this a pattern, or a series of random coincidences? Tracking the wanton killer from the South Suburban hamlet to Chicago’s trendy North side, their investigation thickens and threatens to excavate darkly hidden appetites.

Targeted Age Group:: Adults 18+

What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I wanted to create a female heroine that was a detective, quirky and imperfect and a character that I'd love to see on the small or big screen. The setting is in the Chicago suburbs of South Holland, Illinois, which was settled by Dutch immigrants in 1894. I wrote the first Joi Sommers mystery, Broken Dolls in 2014 and this is the second. The third Joi Sommers Mystery is in progress.

Featured Book: Scene of the Crime by Jennifer Chase

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A calculating cold-blooded predator closes in…

When a community has barely recovered from a ruthless serial killer six months earlier; now two more horrifying murders hit the radar again. It leaves police burdened with two of the most shockingly contaminated crime scenes ever documented in California’s law enforcement history. The Slayer works behind the scenes as a sinister puppet master, precisely pulling the strings, taunting the police without leaving any viable evidence, and orchestrating his killer hit squads.

The sheriff and district attorney bring in the best investigators. Reunited again, Dr. Chip Palmer, a reclusive forensic expert, joins DA Inspector Kate Rawlins to sort through the crime scene aftermath in search of the truth—all without a probable suspect or a solid motive. Complicating the investigation—sparks reignite between the two.

Ratcheting up the suspense, Chip suffers a nasty fall hitting his head, impairing his perception and giving him a mind-blowing ability for specific detailed recall. Palmer and Rawlins assemble an unusual team including a rookie detective, a forensic supervisor, and an ex-military operative turned bodyguard. After one of their own is kidnapped and the investigation is taken over by the FBI, the now rogue team must pull together their own resources—alone—with a killer waiting to take each one of them out. Scene of the Crime takes no prisoners and leaves everyone fighting to stay alive.

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