CULINARY MYSTERIES...

Nikki Sands is exactly where she wants to be as the Manager of the Malveaux Estates in Napa Valley—and ‘shacking up’ with the owner, her boyfriend Derek Malveaux. But she starts to lose control when some self-helpers arrive and steal her peace of mind…

Nikki couldn’t be happier settling into the vineyard with her boyfriend Derek. But when a guru and his followers check into the winery’s boutique hotel and spa for a retreat, she feels far from enlightened as she’s forced to take on the role of event coordinator. Their first outing on the famous Napa Valley Wine train reinforces her doubt when a member goes missing. The guru’s devotee is found in the wine storage car where someone quite literally—and fatally—put a cork in him. It’s up to Nikki to stop a killer who’s developed a real taste for murder…

Goldy Schulz is thrilled to be catering a holiday breakfast feast for the staff of the Aspen Meadow Library. But little does she know that on the menu, alongside the Great Expectations Grapefruit, Chuzzlewit Cheese Pie, and Bleak House Bars, is a large helping of murder.

While setting up at the library, Goldy spots a woman lurking in the stacks who bears a striking resemblance to Sandee Brisbane—the Sandee Brisbane who killed Goldy's ex-husband, the Jerk. But Sandee is supposed to be dead. Or so everyone believes.

Goldy's suspicions mount when the body of Drew Wellington, a former district attorney, is found in a corner of the library with a map worth thousands of dollars stashed in his clothing. She's convinced that Sandee is involved.

But the holiday madness is only just beginning for Goldy. Soon she's drawn into the dangerous, double-crossing world of high-end map dealing. And like the ghost of Christmas past, Sandee keeps making an appearance. Could she be out to prove that revenge is sweet?

Colorado caterer Goldy Schulz encounters bridezilla—and murder—in another delectable novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Revenge, Dark Tort, and Double Shot

It's been a long, rainy summer for Goldy Schulz, who is engaged in planning wedding receptions for what seems to be all of Aspen Meadow. It's bad enough that Billie Attenborough, the bride from hell, has changed her menu six times and the event date twice. Now she wants to move the location to the Gold Gulch Spa just a scant two days before tying the knot to her doctor fiancé.

Then Doc Finn, beloved local physician and the best friend of Goldy's godfather, Jack, is killed when his car tumbles into a ravine. At least that's what appears to have happened. But Jack thinks Doc was murdered because of the research he was doing at the spa—allegations that are confirmed when Jack himself is attacked.

So Goldy dons chef's whites and goes undercover at the spa, where coffee is outlawed in favor of calming smoothies, and the fruit cocktail doesn't include fresh fruit. Add in the obstreperous owner, who years ago tried to sabotage Goldy's fledgling business, and she's got her hands full.

Above all, there seems to be a clever killer on the spa grounds, watching her every move. After what befell Jack, Goldy knows that she might be next. Catering weddings, and cooking low-fat food, could be killing her—literally.

Winter in Lake Eden, Minnesota, is the perfect time to curl up by a cozy fire with something—and someone—sweet. But while bakery owner Hannah Swensen can provide herself with the confections, cuddling will have to take a back seat to sleuthing when her sometime-squeeze becomes a murder suspect...

With the launch party of her mother’s novel around the corner, Hannah has a dress to fit into and a date with her sister, Andrea, at Lake Eden's new health club, Heavenly Bodies. Dragging herself out of bed on a frigid Minnesota morning for exercise, of all things, is bad enough. Discovering a dead body floating in the gym’s jacuzzi? Okay, that's worse. Nor does it help that there's a plate of The Cookie Jar’s very own cream puffs garnishing the murder scene. The fact that they were purchased by none other than Hannah's part-time flame, Detective Mike Kingston, is simply the icing on what's shaping up to be one very messy cake...

Mike may be the prime suspect in the murder of man-eating bombshell Ronni Ward, but he's by no means the only one. Ronni, a fitness instructor at both the Sheriff’s department and Heavenly Bodies, made a nasty habit of throwing her own heavenly body at every man, eligible or not, who crossed her path. Plenty of Lake Eden’s ladies won’t miss Ronni, including her ex-fiance’s former girlfriend, the angry mother of one of her would-be conquests, and even the mayor’s wife. Could any of them have wanted her gone badly enough to make it happen? Mike’s recruited Hannah to find out, and, as any suspended, suspected detective would, he’s micromanaging her every step of the way...

Between trying to narrow the list of Ronni’s enemies down to fewer than half the town’s female population and resisting the urge to remove Mike from the running by throttling him herself, Hannah has her plate full. Trouble is, when it comes to cookies—and to murder—there's always room for one more...

OOLONG DEAD -- A Tea Shop Mystery by Laura Childs

Laura Childs is a pseudonym for Gerry Schmitt, former owner/CEO/Creative Director of a marketing/advertising firm in Minneapolis. She's putting that knowledge to good use for extensive self-promotion. Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop mysteries and also launched her first scrapbooking mystery, KEEPSAKE CRIMES in May 2003.

Theodosia Browning is the owner of Charleston's beloved Indigo Tea Shop, and an amateur sleuth who can't seem to stop solving crimes. A wild steeplechase through the Carolina low-country brings Theodosia face to face with a dead woman--and sparks the return of a boyfriend she never thought she'd see again.

While riding her horse in a race through the South Carolina Lowcountry, Theodosia Browning finds her arch nemesis, Abby Davis, dead. What's more, the victim's brother is Theodosia's old flame.

Who'd have guessed they'd be reunited through cold-blooded murder? Theodosia's investigation takes her from the Lowcountry thicket to the backstage maze of a darkened theater where a maestro of murder waits for the next cue. All proving that when it comes to high drama, Theodosia can give Verdi a run for his money.

WORMWOOD -- A China Bayles Mystery by Susan Wittig Albert

It was not until she created the plucky China Bayles and her savory mysteries that Chicago-born Susan Wittig Albert developed her trademark series. She created China Bayles, a sleuth who jumped off the fast track at a big law firm to open a herb shop. Now Albert has written twelve China Bayles mysteries. Each book is named after a favorite herb.

"Herbs are about coming home, putting down roots, making connections," Albert reflects.

An avid gardener, she cultivates her own herbs, both culinary and ornamental, and never writes about one she hasn't grown. Also an avid researcher, Albert enjoys delving into ancient lore, medicinal uses and symbolic associations surrounding each "signature" herb. She then weaves intricate narrative tangles for her star sleuth and supporting cast of colorful characters.

The stress of working in a high-powered law firm in Houston started to get to China Bayles. So she packed her bags, moved to Pecan Springs, Texas, and opened an herb shop. But China learned that even small towns are spiced with murder.

In NIGHTSHADE, #16 in Berkley (Prime Crime) series featuring China Bales, China is still reeling from her father's death and has no interest in her halfbrother Miles's investigation. But when fate forces her to get involved, China realizes it's time to bring the past to light--or else it will haunt her forever. Then she discovers that Miles may be keeping secrets himself. How deep do the layers of secrecy go? And who has a stake in concealing a long-buried truth? Now, one fresh murder and several cold cases will force China Bayles to face her dark past.

In WORMWOOD (#17), China's friends and family are urging her to get some rest--and a Kentucky Shaker village seems the ideal place for it. At Mount Zion, China can assist with some herbal workshops--while absorbing all things Shaker, from their furniture to their peaceful ways.

But the restored modern version of the village, striving to become a popular tourist attraction, is plagued with misfortune and strife-- some of it the likely result of sabotage. China and her friend Martha are hoping to get to the bottom of it.

However, much like Shaker history itself, the case appears simpler at first than it is. There is tension behind the serene exterior. And after a shocking death occurs during her stay, China will plunge into the archives of another time to connect the sins of the past with a modern-day murder.

Cranky but lovable sleuth Agatha Raisin’s detective agency has become so successful that she wants nothing more than to take quality time for rest and relaxation. But as soon as she begins closing the agency on weekends, she remembers that when she has plenty of quality time, she doesn’t know what to do with it. So it doesn’t take much for the vicar of a nearby village to persuade her to help publicize the church fete---especially when the fair’s organizer, George Selby, turns out to be a gorgeous widower.

Agatha brings out the crowds for the fete, all right, but there’s more going on than innocent village fun. Several of the offerings in the jam-tasting booth turn out to be poisoned, and the festive family event becomes the scene of two murders.

Along with her young and (much to her dismay) pretty sidekick, Toni, Agatha must uncover the truth behind the jam tampering, keep the church funds safe from theft, and expose the nasty secrets lurking in the village---all while falling for handsome George, who may have secrets of his own.

And see...

THE GREAT AUTHORS OF NORTH-WEST MOUNTIE FICTION  A review of the writers who gave us the best Mountie Fiction of the North-West Mounted Police: Ian Anderson, James Oliver Curwood, T Lund, Ryerson Johnson, James B Hendryx and others...

DOGS IN LITERATURE & HOLLYWOOD   From Jack London's THE CALL OF THE WILD to David Wroblewski's THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, a review of the great classic realistic dog stories...

CHEFS, DOGS, MOUNTIES & DREAMSTUDY: The Complete Articles of Brian Alan Burhoe

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