Service Alert
Website maintenance April 24 10pm ET
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
On Wednesday April 24 at 10pm ET the CELA website will be unavailable for about 15 minutes for planned maintenance.
Showing 1 - 20 of 1601 items
'Fabulous, full of wit, mystery, romance and small town politics... The characters are witty, quirky... The plot is twisty and…
engaging with lots of red herrings... I enjoyed hunting through the puzzle pieces alongside Maisie and Jack, but despite my best intentions, I couldn't guess the culprit' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Something is afoot in the little village of Bunting and someone is trying to kill the lady of the manor. Luckily, amateur sleuth Maisie Cooper is on the case. Maisie Cooper is done catching murderers, thank you very much. Having recently brought her brother's killers to justice, she's ready to go back to her glamorous life in Paris. But little does she know that the idyllic Sussex countryside is home to more than one criminal... When Maisie receives a letter asking for her help in the little village of Bunting from the lady of the manor, she is curious enough to accept. She is then shocked to discover that the very woman requesting her assistance is her estranged Aunt Phyllis, who believes that someone is out to kill her. Maisie must follow the clues to find the culprit before they strike again. As Maisie investigates alongside handsome Sergeant Wingard, she starts to wonder.:Why would someone want Aunt Phyllis dead? What could her eccentric aunt have possibly done to be the target for a killer? And does Maisie quite like all this detective business after all?Readers are gripped by Murder at Bunting Manor:'I loved the way that I was pulled into the mystery of the plot. I found myself constantly looking for potential clues which made it feel like a real puzzle to get stuck into. I had a lot of fun reading this book' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Mixes classic whodunnit with cozy mystery elements... Kept me guessing... I thoroughly enjoyed it' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐By Deji Olatunji aka ComedyShortsGamer. 2017
IT WAS ONLY MEANT TO BE A PRANK VIDEO...But now DEJI (AKA ComedyShortsGamer) has unleashed the forces of evil in…
Beijing's Forbidden City.Armed with nothing more than bravado and a talking dog, Deji must return a stolen dragon goblet to the tomb of the mighty Emperor before dawn, or face the end of the world!Standing in his way are gangs of triads, wild dog statues brought to life and skeleton ghosts, not to mention his startling ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.But if Deji is going to survive the night he must triumph over his greatest foe of all, his brother, KSI.Can Deji overcome years of being a slacker and become a kung fu hero to save a world? Join him on his hilarious quest to prove to his parents that a lifetime playing Tekken wasn't a waste of time.By George Shannon. 2001
A man is thrown in jail for picking up a rope. A student earns one hundred points on his math…
and history tests, yet fails both classes. A spider saves a fugitive from a legion of warriors. A farmer buys a cow, a horse, and a donkey, all with a single ear of corn.... Each of the eighteen stories in this book is true, technically. But each is also a lie.In his second collection of "true lies" from around the world, George Shannon challenges young readers to uncover the whole truth. But be careful: a word with more than one meaning can obscure the facts. And a hidden detail can mean the difference between honesty and a twisted truth that is, in its essence, a lie.Can you tell the difference?Can you discover:"What's the truth,the whole truth?And where's the lie?"By Chris Grabenstein. 2020
Bestselling author Chris Grabenstein and the Mystery Writers of America bring together twenty peerless puzzles—from bestselling authors such as Peter…
Lerangis, Stuart Gibbs, Lauren Magaziner, Kate Milford, and, of course, Grabenstein himself—in an anthology of mystery short stories that invite readers to try to unravel the riddles themselves. From tales of hapless superheroes and stolen squirrel monkeys to murderous triplets and haunted basements, these thrilling, puzzling, and hilarious cases have one thing in common—YOU get a chance to be the detective before the author reveals the solution.With twenty never-before-published mystery stories, this collection will leave young detectives sleuthing for more!By Thomas Swan. 1999
Rumor has it that a mysterious Fabergé Egg disappeared in the days just before the Russian Revolution. It's up to…
Scotland Yard art crime detective Jack Oxby to solve the mystery and find the infamous art treasure. Trouble is, whoever attempts to find the Fabergé Egg turns up dead. No matter for Oxby, the fearless hero of Thomas Swan's two previous art crime thrillers, The Da Vinci Deception and The Cezanne Chase.The Final Fabergé is a page-turning novel of suspense that fans of the British television series Lovejoy, the art history mysteries of Iain Pears, and the classic film The Thomas Crowne Affair, will thoroughly enjoy.By Beth Fantaskey. 2016
It&’s 1920s Chicago—the guns-and-gangster era of Al Capone—and it&’s unusual for a girl to be selling the Tribune on the…
street corner. But ten-year-old Isabel Feeney is unusual . . . unusually obsessed with being a news reporter. She can&’t believe her luck when she stumbles not only into a real-live murder scene, but also into her hero, the famous journalist Maude Collier. The story of how the smart, curious, loyal Isabel fights to defend the honor of her accused friend and latches on to the murder case like a dog on a pant leg makes for a winning, thoroughly entertaining middle grade mystery.By Elizabeth Klehfoth. 2018
"This is going to be big." -Entertainment Weekly“Juicy, clever, and beguiling." -Cecily von Ziegsar, author of the Gossip Girl novelsA young woman…
haunted by a family tragedy is caught up in a dangerous web of lies and deception involving a secret society in this highly charged, addictive psychological thriller that combines the dishy gamesmanship of Gossip Girl with the murky atmosphere of The Secret History.One summer day, Grace Fairchild, the beautiful young wife of real estate mogul Alistair Calloway, vanished from the family’s lake house without a trace, leaving behind her seven-year old daughter, Charlie, and a slew of unanswered questions.Years later, seventeen-year-old Charlie still struggles with the dark legacy of her family name and the mystery surrounding her mother. Determined to finally let go of the past, she throws herself into life at Knollwood, the prestigious New England school she attends. Charlie quickly becomes friends with Knollwood’s "it" crowd.Charlie has also been tapped by the A’s—the school’s elite secret society well known for terrorizing the faculty, administration, and their enemies. To become a member of the A’s, Charlie must play The Game, a semester-long, diabolical high-stakes scavenger hunt that will jeopardize her friendships, her reputation, even her place at Knollwood.As the dark events of past and present converge, Charlie begins to fear that she may not survive the terrible truth about her family, her school, and her own life.By Kiersten White, Jim Di Bartolo. 2014
From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes…
a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy.From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures.Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch.Thomas and Charles are brothers who've been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can't.Arthur is also new to the boarding house. His fate is tied to that of Cora, Minnie, Thomas, and Charles. He knows what darkness circles them, but can't say why, and doesn't even know if they can be saved.By Smith Henderson. 2014
In this shattering and iconic American novel, PEN prize-winning writer, Smith Henderson explores the complexities of freedom, community, grace, suspicion…
and anarchy, brilliantly depicting our nation's disquieting and violent contradictions. After trying to help Benjamin Pearl, an undernourished, nearly feral eleven-year-old boy living in the Montana wilderness, social worker Pete Snow comes face to face with the boy's profoundly disturbed father, Jeremiah. With courage and caution, Pete slowly earns a measure of trust from this paranoid survivalist itching for a final conflict that will signal the coming End Times.But as Pete's own family spins out of control, Pearl's activities spark the full-blown interest of the F.B.I., putting Pete at the center of a massive manhunt from which no one will emerge unscathed.By Heather Webber. 2006
Digging Her Own GraveLandscaper Nina Quinn makes her living from surprise garden makeovers. It's not her fault that someone duped…
her into digging up the wrong yard. And she certainly can't be blamed when her handiwork turns the unsuspecting real owner apoplectic and he drops dead from a heart attack . . . can she? Nina's got enough trouble already, with her divorce from faithless hubby Kevin nearing completion and her unruly stepson up to his teenage neck in possibly illegal mischief. Now she's in danger of losing her business! But there's something screwy about this rather convenient "accidental" death of a man whom apparently no one could stand -- not even the "grieving" widow who's threatening to sue Nina's overalls off. To save her livelihood -- and her skin -- Nina's going to have to dig deeper into the dirt than she ever has before . . . and see what sort of slimy secret things crawl out.By Eric Rickstad. 2014
From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Silent Girls comes another unforgettable thriller set in…
Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, featuring Detective Sonja TestEven in a quiet Vermont town, unspeakable acts of the past can destroy the peace of the present.In the remote pastoral hamlet of Canaan, Vermont, a high-profile legal case shatters the town’s sense of peace and community. Anger simmers. Fear and prejudice awaken. Old friends turn on each other. Violence threatens.So when a young teenage girl is savagely murdered while babysitting at the house of the lead attorney in the case, Detective Sonja Test believes the girl’s murder and the divisive case must be linked.However, as the young detective digs deeper into her first murder case, she discovers sordid acts hidden for decades, and learns that behind the town’s idyllic façade of pristine snow lurks a capacity in some for great darkness and the betrayal of innocents. And Sonja Test, a mother of two, will do anything to protect the innocent.“Gripping, topical, and wrenching—everything you want in a top-flight mystery.”—Meg Gardiner, Edgar® Award-winning AuthorBy Otto Penzler, Louise Penny. 2018
#1 New York Times best-selling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels, Louise Penny brings her &“nerve and skill—as…
well as heart&” (Maureen Corrigan, Washington Post) to selecting the best short mystery and crime fiction of the year. Writing short stories takes &“Skill. Discipline. Knowledge of the form while not being formulaic,&” contends Louise Penny in her introduction. &“In a short story there is nowhere to hide. Each must be original, fresh, inspired.&” Originality is just what&’s in store for readers of the twenty clever, creative selections in The Best American Mystery Stories 2018. There&’s no hiding from a Nigerian confidence game, a drug made of dinosaur bones, a bombing at an oil company, a reluctant gunfighter in the Old West, and the many other scams, dangers, and thrills lurking in its suspenseful pages. The Best American Mystery Stories 2018 includes T. C. Boyle, James Lee Burke, Lee Child, Michael Connelly, Charlaine Harris, Andrew Klavan, Martin Limón, Joyce Carol Oates, and others.By Anne Canadeo. 2015
In Anne Canadeo's cozy eighth Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, a cold-hearted murder in Plum Harbor leads the knitters to investigate…
a new psychic who may be far more dangerous than she seems…When Jimmy Hubbard, the manager of the local cinema, is murdered in a robbery gone wrong, the residents of Plum Harbor are mystified. Everyone liked Jimmy, and the struggling theater seems an unlikely target for burglars. The Black Sheep Knitters are surprised and saddened by the crime, but are more suspicious of psychic-medium Isabel Waters, who has recently set up shop in town. Isabel has hoodwinked one of their friends into shelling out big money every week to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. Determined to reveal Isabel as a fraud, the knitters are pulled in the web of Isabel’s world and find themselves in a tangle of secrets and lies. They must solve two murders before the truth about all of Isabel’s clients—past and present—are revealed. As in her previous books A Dark and Stormy Knit, The Silence of the Llamas, and Knit, Purl, Die—which Publishers Weekly praised for its “fast-paced plot that will keep even non-knitters turning the pages”—Canadeo brings her trademark style to this entertaining mystery that will psych you out and leave you wanting more.By Lynn Cahoon. 2017
A cool California resort turns into a chilling crime scene when a groom-to-be is murdered in this cozy mystery by…
the New York Times bestselling author. Bookstore owner Jill Gardner and her detective boyfriend Greg are still getting used to living together. So it&’s a welcome surprise when they get an invitation to South Cove, California&’s most luxurious resort. Greg and his college pals are gathering to celebrate the upcoming wedding of their buddy Levi, who&’s now a tech millionaire. Meanwhile, Jill finds herself caught in a wives&’ club of women who don&’t approve of Levi&’s standoffish fiancé. Just as Jill is ready to escape the shenanigans with a good book, Levi&’s body is found floating in the resort pool. Not only is the party over, but everyone who knew Levi is a suspect, including Greg. Now it&’s up to Jill to find the killer fast—or she might not have a boyfriend to come home to any more.By Andrea Penrose. 2018
As the Industrial Revolution roils London, &“a daring pair of Regency sleuths tackle a series of coldblooded murders&” in this…
historical mystery (Kirkus Reviews). When the eminent scientist Lord Wrexford discovers the body of a gifted inventor in a dark London alley, he promptly alerts the authorities. But Wrexford soon finds himself drawn into the murder investigation when the inventor&’s widow tells him that the crime was no random robbery. Her husband&’s designs for a new steam-powered engine went missing the night of his death. The plans could be worth a fortune . . .and very dangerous in the wrong hands. Joining Wrexford in his investigation is Charlotte Sloane, who publishes scathing political cartoons under the pseudonym A. J. Quill. Her extensive network of informants is critical for her work—and for tracking down the occasional killer. The suspects include ambitious assistants, greedy investors, and even the inventor&’s widow. And when another victim falls, Wrexford and Sloane know they are on the trail of a cunning and deadly foe. &“Penrose deftly combines a Regency romance with a tricky mystery that delves into social unrest and the darker side of this storied period.&” —Kirkus ReviewsBy Ava January. 2024
A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will…
thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn&’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband&’s death, things are looking grim.Unless Albertine can prove who murdered Lord Grendel and clear her name, her choices are stepmothering enough small children to start a school or hanging from the end of Her Majesty's rope.By April Henry. 2023
Piper Gray starts a true-crime podcast investigating a seventeen-year-old cold case in this thrilling YA murder mystery by New York…
Times bestselling author April Henry. Seventeen years ago, Layla Trello was murdered and her killer was never found. Enter true-crime fan Piper Gray who is determined to reopen Layla&’s case and get some answers. With the help of Jonas—who has a secret of his own—Piper starts a podcast investigating Layla&’s murder. But as she digs deeper into the mysteries of the past, Piper begins receiving anonymous threats telling her to back off the investigation, or else. The killer is still out there, and Piper must uncover their identity before they silence her forever.By Barbara Ross. 2024
A short boat ride from Busman&’s Harbor, Maine, Morrow Island is a perfect spot for a wedding—and a Snowden Family…
Clambake. Julia Snowden is busy organizing both—until a mysterious wedding crasher drops dead amid the festivities . . . Julia&’s best friend and business partner, Zoey, is about to marry her policeman boyfriend. Of course, a gorgeous white wedding dress shouldn&’t be within fifty yards of a plate of buttery lobster—so that treat is reserved for the rehearsal dinner. Julia is a little worried about the timing, though, as she works around a predicted storm. When a guest falls to the floor dead, it turns out that no one seems to know who he is, despite the fact that he&’s been actively mingling and handing out business cards. And when an injection mark is spotted on his neck, it&’s clear this wasn&’t caused by a shellfish allergy. Now, as the weather deteriorates and a small group is stranded on the island with the body—and the killer—Julia starts interrogating staff, family members, and Zoey&’s artist friends to find out who turned the clambake into a crime scene . . .By Daryl Wood Gerber. 2024
Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can&’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . . Courtney…
is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . . But the murder of Courtney&’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she&’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she&’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That&’s landed a couple of Courtney&’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne&’s innocence sprout in Courtney&’s mind. With only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .By Dee Kelly Jr.. 2024
"Reminiscent of Dan Brown's work but with a tone and momentum all its own, Kelly's yarn will delight thriller fans…
looking for an exciting read." -Kirkus Reviews "Rich in culture, themes of belief, and the grand implications of its relic, The Malachi Covenant exemplifies its genre, blending brisk plotting, action-packed sequences, and jolting betrayals with thoughtful spiritual inquiry, keeping the suspense potent up to a satisfying conclusion." -BookLife "Dee Kelly, Jr. is a master wordsmith. The Malachi Covenant is a propulsive thriller that takes the reader on an electrifying adventure. The characters are fully drawn and his research is on broad display. This story will draw you in and not let you go until the heart pounding ending. Even then, the story will stay with you." -Glenn Dyer, Author of Trust No One The relics of St. Nicholas are among the most divine and prized possessions in the Christian world, said to hold the power to heal the most incurable diseases and protect those who come in contact with them. Biblical archeologist Maggie Shepherd has the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to extract and study one of these priceless artifacts buried in the tomb of the man who is now known as Santa Claus. In just a few weeks, on Christmas Eve, the Pope will present the venerated relic of St. Nicholas to the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church in Moscow in the hope of reuniting East and West after a 1,000-year schism. Driven by rumors of the relic&’s legendary power, many people want to control it, including a Russian mob boss who coerces Malachi Popov into stealing it for him before the ceremony. A devout man, Popov wants nothing to do with the evil scheme but his desperate need for money to support his ailing mother leaves him no choice. Once in possession of the miraculous relic, Popov witnesses its awesome power and regrets his action, but before he can set things right, it vanishes. Not knowing who to trust, both Popov and Maggie set off on a globe-spanning chase to recover the treasured artifact before the world learns it&’s missing, and all hope of reuniting the Church is lost. What they don&’t know is there are others on their trail who will stop at nothing to keep them from their prize, including murder.