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Showing 2441 - 2460 of 5387 items
By Lilian Jackson Braun. 1986
When crime comes calling, it can only be solved by the extraordinary Siamese cat brains of Koko and Yum Yum…
- with a little help from mentor Jim Qwilleran... The Cat Who Saw Red is a delightful crime novel, featuring two very clever cats, from acclaimed writer Lilian Jackson Braun. Perfect for cosy crime fans and cat lovers.'It's a Wonderful Life meets The Aristocats in this daft but endearing whodunit' - Liverpool Daily PostWhen Jim Qwilleran is sent to 'Maus Haus' on a gastronomical quest, he takes Koko and Yum Yum along for company and steps into a house of curiosities. There's restaurateur Robert Maus, elbow-deep in saucepans; cuddly Hixie with her daily calorie count; and Joy Graham, the red-headed flame from Qwilleran's past and a talented potter to boot. Then strange things occur as a startling scream pierces the night air and Joy disappears without trace. Koko, Yum Yum and their all-providing mentor, Qwilleran, are determined to solve the mystery... What readers are saying about The Cat Who Saw Red: 'The vivid cast of kooky characters are one of the best features of Lillian Jackson Braun's books''The entire 'Cat Who...' series are a delight for cat and mystery lovers''Well written fiction that keeps you enthralled from beginning to end'By Lilian Jackson Braun. 1967
Crime's most unlikely detective team find themselves back on familiar turf... In the second book in Lilian Jackson Braun's acclaimed…
'The Cat Who...' series, Jim Qwilleran, Koko and Yum Yum must find out who has murdered the owner of an exclusive residence. Perfect for cat lovers and crime fans.'This droll and engaging mystery... firmly grips the reader... a lively witty tale bolstered by sharply etched characters' - Publishers WeeklyJim Qwilleran is not exactly overwhelmed by his new assignment for the Daily Fluxion. Interior design has never been one of his specialities and now he's supposed to turn out an entire magazine on the same subject. But the first issue of Gracious Abodes is barely off the presses when Qwilleran finds himself back on more familiar territory - the exclusive residence featured on the cover has been burglarised and the lady of the house found dead...Now Qwilleran, with the help of Koko and Yum Yum, the brilliant Siamese cats, have their respective moustache and whiskers twitching, and when Koko starts pawing clues in the dictionary and sniffing designer furniture, Qwilleran finds himself doing a feature on a very clever murderer.What readers are saying about The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern: 'A traditional whodunit, well written with an intriguing plot - this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read''Quirky - lovely for anyone who owns or has owned an intelligent cat''Has all the required components of a good murder mystery: Interesting characters, unusual setting, mystery, tension (and more than one cat)'By Lilian Jackson Braun. 1987
Two cunning cats are on the case... The Cat Who Played Brahms is a terrific adventure for the most unlikely,…
most unusual, most delightful team in detective fiction from acclaimed author Lilian Jackson Braun. Perfect for fans of Simon Brett and Sofie Kelly.'Mrs Braun has a breezy style; the cats are really smart' - New York Times Book ReviewIs it just a case of summertime blues or a full-blown career crisis? Newspaper reporter Jim Qwilleran isn't sure, but he's hoping a few days in the country will help him sort out his life. With cats Koko and Yum Yum for company, Qwill heads for a cabin owned by a family friend. But from the moment he arrives, things turn strange. Eerie footsteps cross the roof at midnight. Local townsfolk become oddly secretive. And then, while fishing, Qwill hooks on to a murder mystery while Koko develops a sudden and uncanny fondness for classical music... What readers are saying about The Cat Who Played Brahms: 'A highly enjoyable read, the perfect book to curl up with on a sunny or rainy afternoon''Suspenseful, thrilling and guaranteed to put a smile on your face''Five stars'By Lilian Jackson Braun. 1968
Feline detectives Koko and Yum Yum get their paws dirty once again... The Cat Who Turned On & Off from…
Lilian Jackson Braun is another captivating case for crime's most unlikely, most unusual and most delightful detective team. Perfect for fans of cosy crime and clever cats.'An engaging tongue-in-cheek yarn with a sting in the tail that won't just appeal to the cat-lover' - Belfast TelegraphJim Qwilleran's latest commission is a piece on Junktown - a ghetto of antique dealers and collectors living in genteel decay. Enchanted by Junktown and its delightfully bohemian inhabitants, Qwill finds himself digs in the area, renting two rooms to share with his sleuthing Siamese companions Koko and Yum Yum. When his landlord C.C. Cobb, one of Junktown's leading citizens, falls mysteriously to his death, Qwill's famous whiskers begin to twitch. It's only when Koko develops a passion for tape-recorders, to rival even that of his journalist mentor, that the vital clues begin to drop into place... What readers are saying about The Cat Who Turned On & Off: 'If you like your mysteries cosy, don't pass up this excellent series''This book ticked all the boxes''Just fun to read. Wish I had both cats!'By Maurice Procter. 1962
An open safe...a bloodstained coat ... a victim too close to homeClassic police procedural by a 'born storyteller' (Sunday Times),…
who combined natural flair with his experience in the police to truly authentic effect.'The door was open. McCool stood in the doorway and switched on the light. He gazed at an open safe, and then he turned his head slightly to observe a heap of stained brown gabardine which lay on the floor. It was an untidy sight, even though the legs and feet which protruded from it were expensively trousered and immaculately shod.'Chief Inspector McCool has two murder cases on his hands - and one of the victims is his ex-fiancee, found dead after a reunion with him.By J. D. Griffo. 2021
Tranquility, New Jersey&’s amateur drama troupe is staging a murder mystery at St. Winifred&’s Academy and Alberta Scaglione couldn&’t be…
more thrilled. Even her Italian-American famiglia are getting in on the act. But someone&’s making deadly revisions to the script . . . Alberta can hardly believe it. Her childhood screen idol, 1950s Hollywood starlet Missy Michaels, has signed up for the local Tranquility Players revival of the classic Arsenic and Old Lace. But before Missy memorizes a single line, she&’s found dead in her dressing room wrapped in lace and clutching a bottle of arsenic. The ultimate drama-queen suicide? Everyone thinks so—except Alberta. A Ferrara woman knows murder when she sees it. Alberta also knows producer Nola Kirkpatrick&’s checkered past: whenever she&’s around, trouble abounds. Alberta and her crime-reporting partner-in-sleuthing granddaughter, Jinx, have a hunch the murderer is among the Players. So Alberta joins the cast—reluctantly playing Missy&’s role—to get closer to the truth. She notices the director is a little unbalanced, but aren&’t they all? The leading man is a wildly obsessive Missy Michaels fanboy—but a murderer? Of course, the show must go on. But if Alberta and Jinx can&’t nab the killer before opening night, it may mean curtains for more Players . . . including Alberta. Includes Italian recipes from Alberta&’s kitchen! &“Imagine the Golden Girls starting a detective agency and you&’ll get the general idea of J.D. Griffo&’s charming Ferrara Family mystery series.&” —Criminal ElementBy Dana Mentink. 2021
The first in new dessert cozy mystery series! A murder in town is bound to shake things up After her divorce…
from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So when she's left one of ex's businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad's life seems to be churning along smoothly.That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad's fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it's going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.By Carol J. Perry. 2019
Salem&’s WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is about to discover no good deed goes unpunished . . . Lee…
has been promoted from field reporter to program director. Keeping track of all the shows and managing the local TV personalities—including a cowboy, a clown, and a performing dog—has her head spinning. Perhaps that&’s what makes her take pity on the distraught woman she finds sitting alone on a bench on the Salem common. When she realizes that the poor woman doesn&’t even know her own name, Lee takes her into the warmth of the home she shares with her Aunt Ibby and their clairvoyant gentleman cat, O&’Ryan. Maybe Lee can use her own psychic gifts to divine the woman&’s identity. Lee&’s detective beau Pete Mondello wants to talk to the &“Jane Doe,&” but before he can investigate, he&’s called to a crime scene. A body has been found washed up in a narrow harbor cove. As harmless as her new houseguest seems, Lee can&’t help but wonder if she may be harboring a killer . . . Praise for the Witch City Mysteries &“Perfectly relaxing and readable.&” —Kirkus Reviews &“This rewarding paranormal cozy series debut will have Victoria Laurie fans lining up to follow.&” —Library Journal &“An entertaining story that keeps readers guessing until the very twisted and eerie end.&”—RT Book ReviewsBy Ginger Bolton. 2021
Selling her corn fritters at a carnival, Deputy Donut Café owner Emily Westhill faces off against a murderer who doesn&’t…
play fair . . . Emily and her assistant, Nina, are looking forward to manning the Deputy Donut tent at the Faker&’s Dozen Carnival in Fallingbrook, Wisconsin—a festival held on Friday the thirteenth to celebrate good and bad luck. But Emily has barely dropped the corn fritters in oil when bad luck boils up. First, their bucket of confectioner&’s sugar disappears—and then while a mime creates a distraction, a magician robs their cash register. After the carnival, their misfortune continues. Emily discovers that someone has broken into artist Nina&’s loft and vandalized a large painting in progress with the bucket of stolen sugar, which is now on the head of the mime, who seems to have been suffocated. Emily would bet Nina was the intended victim, but the cops think Nina silenced the mime. Now Emily must catch the killer white-handed—before someone else kicks the bucket . . . Praise for Jealousy Filled Donuts &“Charming . . . Yummy donut recipes round out a whodunit (or is it a whodonut?) sure to please cozy fans.&”—Publishers Weekly Includes delicious recipes!By Traci Hall. 2021
In the charming Scottish shire of Nairn,sweater shop owner Paislee Shaw must root out a garden variety killer. . . …
Paislee&’s custom sweater and yarn business, Cashmere Crush, is the sole support for not only the single mum and her ten-year-old son Brody, but also her eccentric Gramps and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier.So when her landlord, Shawn Marcus, serves her an eviction notice and then pulls a disappearing act, she&’ll go to any lengths to find the man and reason with him. Shawn is heir to the Leery Estate, which Brody&’s class will be visiting on a field trip. So Paislee volunteers to chaperone in the hopes of tracking down Shawn and killing two birds with one stone. Unfortunately, the only one killed is a man Paislee sees falling out of the hedges after being shot. It&’s not her missing landlord, but Lady Leery&’s nephew, Charles Thomson. Gruff DI Mack Zeffer is on the case, but Paislee also has a stake in flushing out the shooter. With suspects sprouting up like weeds, Paislee may need to hedge her bets until she can determine who is trying to lead her down the garden path . . .By Debra H. Goldstein. 2021
Sarah Blair gets an education in slicing and dicing when someone in culinary school serves up a main corpse in…
Wheaton, Alabama . . . Between working as a law firm receptionist, reluctantly pitching in as co-owner of her twin sister&’s restaurant, and caretaking for her regal Siamese RahRah and rescue dog Fluffy, Sarah has no time to enjoy life&’s finer things. Divorced and sort-of dating, she&’s considering going back to school. But as a somewhat competent sleuth, Sarah&’s more suited for criminal justice than learning how many ways she can burn a meal. Although she wouldn&’t mind learning some knife skills from her sous chef, Grace Winston. An adjunct instructor who teaches cutlery expertise in cooking college, Grace is considering accepting an executive chef&’s position offered by Jane Clark, Sarah&’s business rival—and her late ex-husband&’s lover. But Grace&’s future lands in hot water when the school&’s director is found dead with one of her knives in his back. To clear her friend&’s name, Sarah must sharpen her own skills at uncovering an elusive killer . . . Includes quick and easy recipes! &“The Sarah Blair mysteries are such a perfect blend of wit, fun, intrigue, and mouth-watering food descriptions that cozy fans will be eager for another helping.&”—Ellery Adams, New York Times bestselling authorBy Lucy Banks. 2017
"Banks’s debut marks the start of a promising urban fantasy series, something like Ghostbusters with a British accent." - Publisher's…
WeeklyKester Lanner didn’t know what to expect when he followed his mother’s dying request to contact the mysterious Dr. Ribero, but he wasn’t expecting to find his long lost father. Nor was he expecting to join the family business: catching supernatural spirits.Kester is intrigued despite his fear, and finds himself drawn into an ancient ghost story that will test the entire agency.He soon becomes enmeshed in a struggle with the spirit, who is so malevolent and haunting that his first real case might just be his last.By Lucy Banks. 2018
"A thoroughly engaging read for anyone, whether new to the series or not." - BooklistOnly a few months have passed…
since the day Kester Lanner forced an angry ghost through the spirit door, but business prospects for Dr. Ribero's supernatural agency haven’t improved. Things are looking grim when the agency lands a contract which they must share with a rival agency headed by Dr Ribero’s sworn enemy, Larry Higgins. Desperate for the job, the team accepts and begins to investigate the seaside town of Lyme Regis, where elderly victims are dying.The same mysterious clue links the horrendous deaths: the victims all see a double of themselves before dying. The teams wonder if they are dealing with a rogue doppelgänger, one that isn’t content just predicting deaths, but carrying them out as well. The victims’ connection to an ancient grave site leads to speculation that they may have disturbed a spirit more powerful than the two agencies can handle.One thing is certain, the won’t stop unless Kester and the others can overcome their rivalry and stop this deadly spirit.By Andrew Taylor. 1998
'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The…
Fire Court, this is the fourth instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesThe Korean war rumbles in the background throughout this novel as a reporter is found murdered at the Bathurst Arms, squatters are evicted from a military camp and there are new developments in the three-year-old hunt for a missing teenager. And in spite of all that's going on, Jill Francis, a local journalist, and DI Richard Thornhill find they can no longer resist their feelings for each other.'An excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time OutBy Andrew Taylor. 2004
'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The…
Fire Court, this is the seventh instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesLove and need make unexpected bedfellows, and both are blind. As the grip of a long hard winter tightens on Lydmouth, a dead woman calls the dying in a seance behind net curtains. Two provincial newspapers are in the throes of a bitter circulation war. A lorry-driver broods, and an office boy loses his heart. Britain is basking in the warm glow of post-war tranquillity, but in the quiet town of Lydmouth, darker forces are at play. The rats are fed on bread and milk, a gentleman's yellow kid glove is mislaid on a train, and something disgusting is happening at Mr Prout's toyshop.Returning to a town shrouded in intrigue and suspicion, Jill Francis becomes acting editor of the Gazette. Meanwhile, there's no pleasure left in the life of Detective Chief Inspector Richard Thornhill. Only a corpse, a television set and the promise of trouble to come.'An excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time OutBy Anthony Boucher. 2019
A superb mixture of locked room mystery and science fiction classic'A fine craftsman' Ellery QueenA deadly net of danger tightens…
around Hilary Foulkes as an unseen enemy makes constant, bizarre attempts on his life. Detective Terry Marshall and his unusual assistant, the inquisitive nun Sister Ursula, work desperately against the clock to break the case - for Foulkes's luck is due to run out at any moment . . . ROCKET TO THE MORGUE is the novel in which Anthony Boucher's two interests, crime and SF, collide. As well as being a classic locked-room mystery, it is also considered something of an SF trailblazer, featuring thinly disguised versions of such luminaries of the Southern California science fiction culture of the 1940s as Robert Heinlein and L. Ron Hubbard.By Andrew Taylor. 1994
'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily TelegraphFrom the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and Fire of…
Court, this is the first instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesWorkmen in the small market town of Lydmouth are demolishing an old cottage. A sledgehammer smashes into what looks like a solid wall. Instead, layers of wallpaper conceal the door of a locked cupboard which holds a box - and in the box is the skeleton of a young baby. Items within the box suggest that the baby was entombed early in the nineteenth century, but when another man is also found dead, the evidence suggests that the baby's death is more recent and that a killer is on the loose. For Journalist Jill Francis, newly arrived from London, this looks like her first story to chase ... 'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid'Captures perfectly the drab atmosphere and cloying morality of the 1950s . . . Taylor is an excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out 'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily TelegraphBy Lesley Cookman. 2012
'With fascinating characters and an intriguing plot, this is a real page turner' KATIE FFORDE praise for the seriesAn addictive…
and unputdownable crime mystery novel perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Faith Martin, J.R. Ellis, LJ Ross, Miss Marple and Midsummer Murders!Lesley Cookman's bestselling series featuring amateur sleuth Libby Sarjeant is back for its tenth instalment!'Whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.' Surely?Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran Wolfe are asked to look into the sudden and unexplained death of a devoted churchgoer. The police appear to have lost interest, but the villagers are certain that their new lady vicar has something to do with it!But if it is murder, how on earth was it done? There doesn't seem to be any rational explanation... But could it really be magic? ______________________________________________________ Praise for the bestselling series:'Another delightful Libby Sarjeant murder mystery... An entertaining read' ***** Amazon review'As usual, another good light hearted murder mystery' ***** Amazon review'Excellent book full of intrigue. Lovely descriptions of the areas. You get involved with the characters and feel you are friends with them' ***** Amazon review'Red-herrings and a truly British flavour make this a good read... I am happy to recommend and will be reading more of books written by this author' ***** Amazon reviewBy Kate High. 2021
font size="+1">'Animal lovers will delight' Ann Granger'A real treat . . . I loved it. Cats, dogs, murder and a…
credible and relatable heroine' Barbara NadelSummer in the Lincolnshire Wolds and Clarice is rung by her friend Louise, asking whether she can look after Susie, her son's lively Boxer, as 41-year-old Guy has gone missing from the family home. His mother thinks he has been suffering from depression but more worryingly, in his professional life, he had been working on a high-profile case, defending a known criminal. His home life was beset with problems too, which is why his mother has asked Clarice to look after the dog; Charlotte, Guy's wife, just can't cope with her as well as their three daughters.Getting drawn into the puzzle of Guy's disappearance, Clarice wonders how Susie received a nasty cut to her back leg, and who is the mysterious Charles? Guy apparently did not trust him enough to let him into his home, and he had not been seen since he was driven away in Charles car. Guy's friends all say that he was a good, honest man, but as Clarice looks further into the murky criminal world he inhabits, she questions if Guy has been pulled in out of his depth. And - why does Susie keep returning to the private woods, where she had spent so much time with her beloved master....By Andrew Taylor. 2001
'Andrew Taylor is a master story-teller' Daily Telegraph From the No.1 bestselling author of The Ashes of London and The…
Fire Court, this is the sixth instalment in the acclaimed Lydmouth seriesWhen the body of Rufus Moorcroft, a middle-aged widower with a distinguished war record, is found in his summerhouse, the verdict is suicide. But both reporter Jill Francis and her lover, Detective Richard Thornhill, approaching the case from different angles, discover there's more to it than that. The key to the mystery stretches back to a highly-charged summer before the war, and back to another death. A local asylum plays a part, as do a moderately famous artist and his wife; Superintendent Williamson, now retired and loathing it; Councillor Bernie Broadbent - a man with more pies than fingers to put in them; a Cambridge don; an aristocratic unmarried mother, now gleefully drawing her old-age pension; and - to Thornhill's surprise and growing horror - his own wife, Edith.'An excellent writer. He plots with care and intelligence and the solution to the mystery is satisfyingly chilling' The Times'The most under-rated crime writer in Britain today' Val McDermid 'There is no denying Taylor's talent, his prose exudes a quality uncommon among his contemporaries' Time Out