Members' New Publications

No Mortal Reason, by Kathy Lynn Emerson, Pemberley Press, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9771913-4-5

On their way home to Maine to be married, Diana Spaulding, intrepid crime reporter, and her fiance, physician Ben Northcote, stop in rural Lenape Springs, New York to meet Diana's hitherto unknown relatives. Once they arrive, putting an end to the family feud between Diana's mother and her uncles is the least of her problems. Confidence games, schemes to attract tourists to the area, and murder all conspire to complicate Diana's life in May of 1888.

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STATE'S EVIDENCE , by R. Barri Flowers, Dorchester, 2006, ISBN: 08439-5571-6 , mass market paperback

In Eagles Landing, California, Assistant District Attorney Beverly Mendoza has been selected to prosecute a disturbing case, the brutal murder of a local judge and the rape of his wife. The defendant, Rafael Santiago, once vowed to get revenge against the judge for sending him to prison, and the judge’s wife picked him out of a line-up. It seems like an open-and-shut case. But appearances can be very deceiving. At the same time, homicide detective Stone Palmer is investigating the rape and strangling of a young woman. Career criminal Manuel Gonzalez is in custody for the crime, but he pulls the rug out from everyone when he claims he’s the one who murdered the judge. Could it be a case of mistaken identity? Or two desperate, violent men out to manipulate and beat the system?

JUSTICE SERVED , by R. Barri Flowers, Leisure Books, 2005, ISBN: 0843955627, mass market paperback

In this suspense thriller set in Portland, Oregon, male batterers of women are being beaten to death by a bat wielding female vigilante. Each victim had recently been on trial for domestic violence-related charges, but was set free through plea bargains, technicalities, or acquittal. Two Portland Police Bureau Detectives--Sergeant Ray Barkley and his partner Detective Nina Parker--investigate the killings. Among the list of suspects is Criminal Court Judge Carole Cranston, who presided over the trials of all the victims and has dark secrets she is in no hurry to share. Barkley soon develops an attraction to the beautiful Carole, and vice versa, even as the case heats up and more signs begin to point toward Carole as the serial murderess the press has dubbed The Vigilante Batterer Killer. Nina, who had a brief affair with Barkley, is determined to prove that Carole is the killer. As the body count rises, no one seems safe. In the end, all the pieces come together in an exciting, page turning whodunit and why.

Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers and Victims of the Twentieth Century , by R. Barri Flowers and H. Loraine Flowers, McFarland, 2004, ISBN: 0-7864-2075-8, softcover

From the assassination of President William McKinley on September 6, 1901, to the mass killing at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, the 20th century saw many murderous events that are difficult to contemplate but have become a part of the national history. This reference book is divided into three parts. Part One, arranged chronologically, details 53 of the most famous murder cases of the 20th century in the United States. In Part Two, over 300 entries (alphabetically arranged by criminal) provide descriptions of crimes and are subdivided into male, female, and juvenile murderers; pair and group murderers; hate crime murderers; and school killings. Part Three features crime events related to over 40 selected victims. Cross references guide the reader to additional information. An index is included.

Murder Under A Mystic Moon ~ A Chintz 'n China Mystery, by Yasmine Galenorn, The Penguin Group/Berkley Prime Crime Imprint 2005
ISBN 0-425-20002-7

With her teenaged daughter's birthday on the horizon and the Early Autumn Breeze Celebration in full swing, Emerald has her hands full with party preparations and teashop specials. But a request from her friend Jimbo has her using her abilities to look into the disappearance of his friend. In the woods surrounding the Klickavail Valley enclave, Emerald senses a strange energy manifesting itself-before literally stumbling across the body of Jimbo's friend. While the police are willing to blame the death on a cougar attack, Emerald knows there's something else wandering the forest-something that resembles the Klakatat monster of legend, but may actually be a monster of a more human kind. What Reviewers Are Saying "MURDER UNDER a MYSTIC MOON is a refreshingly innovative paranormal mystery that will appeal to a wide range of mystery aficionados....Yasmine Galenorn is an author to keep an eye out as she is heading towards superstardom." ~ Harriet Klausner "Fantastic paranormal murder mystery...The tone is a nice blend of seriousness and humor. The main character, even with her special talents, shows many of the same strengths and weaknesses we all share and tries not to take herself too seriously. Great secondary characters are crucial to the story's shadowy plot and satisfying end. A paranormal mystery lover's delight!" ~ Fresh Fiction.Com What Readers Are Saying "All I can say is, you nailed it. This is definitely the best of the series." "This is the third in the Chintz 'n China mysteries, and the best yet...Her spooks are satisfyingly spooky, and she keeps the tension mounting all the way through." "Once again Yasmine Galenorn has kept me under her spell for hours on end I simply could NOT put this book down. It was SO good!" "Again, Yasmine has taken us deeper than the heart, if that can be done. Brava!!!"

Murder, My Deer, by Jaqueline Girdner, Berkley Prime Crime, April 2000,
$21.95, ISBN 0-425-17328-3

In Jaki Girdner's Murder, My Deer, Kate and Wayne have finally gotten married. That's the good news. The bad news: they attend a support group for those whose gardens have been ravaged by deer, and find out that roses aren't the only victims this season. "Enough wacky suspects and sleuthing to keep the pages turning and the laughs sneaking up." Mill Valley Herald

Austin City Blue, by Jan Grape, Five Star Mysteries , October 2001,

"Police detective Zoe Barrow faces enough trouble to overwhelm any average Jane. Her husband and fellow cop lies in a near coma after being gunned down. Internal Affairs is dogging her for killing the prime suspect eight months later in what appears to be an unrelated attack on other officers. She's digging into the murder of a confidential informant. And she's trying to deal with a businessman she believes has a paranoid fear of his unfaithful wife, until he's shot. Grape, winner of the Anthony and Macavity Awards, has written an impressive first full-length mystery novel. What makes this story sparkle is the complex but realistic portrayal of a woman detective on a metro police force. Barrow has to make seemingly impossible choices while struggling to remain true to herself just to make it through the day. Grape also captures the charm and contrasting ugliness of life in Texas's capital city." -- Today's Librarian, November 2001

Death Dances to a Reggae Beat, by Kate Grilley, Berkley Prime Crime,
$5.99, ISBN 0-425-17506-5

Kelly Ryan, forty-something divorcee and radio deejay, is enjoying her life in a Caribbean paradise when that life begins to get complicated. A disappearing boyfriend and a parade committee from hell ought to be enough, but Kelly stumbles onto a corpse on the beach where leatherback turtles nest. First in series. Caribbean island setting.

Charlaine Harris

Dead Until Dark, by Charlaine Harris, Ace Fantasy,
$5.99, ISBN 0-441-00853-4

Sookie Stackhouse is a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's quiet, keeps to herself, and doesn't get out much. Not because she's not pretty. She is. It's just that, well, Sookie has this sort of "disability." She can read minds. And that doesn't make her too dateable. And then along comes Bill. He's tall, dark, handsome-- and Sookie can't hear a word he's thinking. He's exactly the type of guy she's been waiting for all her life.... But Bill has a disability of his own: He's a vampire with a bad reputation. He hangs with a seriously creepy crowd, all suspected of --big surprise-- murder. And when one of Sookie's coworkers is killed, she fears she's next.... "Rural America finally has a vampire story to call its own." -- Tanya Huff "An author of rare talents." -- Publishers Weekly

Carolyn Hart

Resort to Murder , by Carolyn Hart, Avon, 2001

Retired Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Henrietta Collins no longer races around the globe in pursuit of news. But her talent for troubleshooting and her zest for life are much needed at a family gathering in sunny Bermuda, whre murder prowls the halls of a luxury hotel. Henrie O has come to the island with her grandchildren for the remarriage of their father, Lloyd Drake. Henrie O's former son-in-law plans to marry Connor Bailey, a beautiful widow with a dark past and a knack for attracting men. Only a year earlier, the resort manager's husband fell from a tower to his death after quarreling with Connor. And now it seems that his restless spirit is haunting the hotel --and perhaps seeking revenge. Henrie O has no patience for bogus supernatural appearances, no matter how artfully done. But when she sets out to unmask the "ghost's" creator, she soon realizes there's much more at stake. A second death --a fatal fall from a cliff-- makes it clear to Henrie O that great evil is afoot in this elegant enclave kissed by warm turquoise water, glistening pink sands, and balmy ocean breezes. With everyone connected with the once-joyous planned union of Lloyd and Connor now both a suspect and a potential target of a fiendishly relentless killer, Henrie O is gravely concerned for the well-being of her loved ones. It is more than motivation enough for the accomplished amateur sleuth to take investigative matters into her own able hands despite the risks. Decades of experience have taught her that there are some lethal secrets that haunt both the innocent and the guilty alike, vengeful spirits who will not rest until some terrible blood debt has been repaid in full. "Three cheers for Henrie O, an intelligent, engaging sleuth!" ~~ Mary Higgins Clark "A sassy heroine . . . She says what she thinks (when it serves her purposes) and pulls no punches. Think of today's no-nonsense Lauren Bacall." ~~ Chicago Sun-Times

Ellen Hart

IMMACULATE MIDNIGHT, by Ellen Hart, ISBN: 0-312-26676-6, 2002

Ray Lawless, prominent defense attorney and father of Minneapolis restaurateur, Jane Lawless, tries his biggest case yet defending an accused serial murderer and arsonist whom the media has dubbed "The Midnight Man." Ray's client is eventually convicted and given two consecutive life sentences, though he proclaims his innocence to the end, and a few days later is knifed and killed in a prison fight. However, someone in The Midnight Man's life can't let go and, blaming Ray for the man's death, plots a singular revenge. Both Jane and her brother, Peter, who is already under terrible pressure because of a troubled marriage, feel the heat of the avenger's plan. But Jane is intimately familiar with danger, and she's never been one to shrink from a fight. With the help of her best friend, Cordelia Thorn, Jane sets out to discover why this person is so determined to undo her family. When she begins to dig into The Midnight Man's life, the puzzle unravels, leading Jane to a final confrontation with someone bent on making the Lawlesses pay with their lives. IMMACULATE MIDNIGHT is a taught, dynamic installment in an award-winning series.

Julie Wray Herman

Three Dirty Women and the Bitter Brew, by Julie Wray Herman, Silver Dagger Mysteries, HC ISBN: 1-57072-178-5 ; PB ISBN: 1-57072-179-3

Korine McFaile and her partner, Janey Bascom, and Janey’s husband, J.J., visit historic Charleston for the twelfth annual Small Landscaper’s Convention. Korine is stuck rooming with Dodie Halloran, who seems determined to make Korine’s life miserable. When Dodie is murdered, Korine becomes suspect. Further complicating matters, Korine’s son, Chaz, has a problem he cannot, or will not, discuss with her. In order to deal with her son’s dilemma, Korine must face her own secret from the past, which in turn leads her to the reason for Dodie’s violent death. "Herman's first book, Three Dirty Women and the Garden of Death, was nominated for an Agatha for best first novel. I feel that her second book is even better than her first. I enjoyed how she develops her characters, especially Korine and J.J. It was hard to put this book down since I wanted to see what would happen. I feel that this is one of my favorite books of the year so far and hope to see it nominated for an Agatha as best novel." -- Tom Walchel, My Shelf

Joan Hess

Maggody and the Moonbeams , by Joan Hess, Hardcover, 240 pages, (August 2001) , Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 0-7432-0229-5

Arly Hanks -- the wiliest chief of police in the Ozarks -- is back on the case in Joan Hess's latest comedy-filled whodunit. And this time around, our intrepid sleuth may have met her match: she's just been pressed into service as chaperone for the church youth group. Ten hormonally challenged teenage boys and girls are spending a week at Camp Pearly Gates, accompanied by the formidable wife of the mayor, the high school shop teacher, and preacher Brother Verber. It's bad enough that Arly has to bunk with this crew, but when, on a dark and stormy night, one of the girls stumbles over the body of a white-robed woman with a shaved head, Arly knows things can only go downhill. Investigating the murder, Chief of Police Hanks finds herself hindered by an eccentric cast of characters, from the bumbling local police and a band of spacey cultists to her own menopausal mother and an oddly intriguing (and attractive) fisherman called Jacko. Meanwhile, back in Maggody, Arkansas (population 755), Mayor Jim Bob Buchanon is up to his usual philandering antics, Raz Buchanon is looking for an animal companion to keep his pig Marjorie company, and Duluth Buchanon's wife has gone missing with their two sons. With her trademark wit, "the patron saint of comic mystery" combines humor and mayhem in her best and bawdiest episode yet in the annals of Maggody. All in all, this is one of the best in the series, and that's saying a great deal. ~ Booklist