C. Vonzale Lewis is here to tell us about Descendants of the Big House, A Horde of Dead Poets, contemporary fantasy-mystery.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Descendants of the Big House
C. Vonzale Lewis
(A Horde of Dead Poets)
Publication date: October 14th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery
Beatrice Monroe is still getting used to the knowledge that she was born a champion for Good and Evil. She spends her days combing through her great grandmother’s journals trying to find answers to what this newfound ability means for her as a member of law enforcement.
When a woman walks into her precinct claiming her aunt was murdered, Beatrice discovers a link between their families that may just have the answers she needs. But those answers are not easy to find. Because this mystery’s roots are buried in the past with five young girls and what they gave birth to…in The Big House.
Descendants of the Big House is a standalone installment in A Horde of Dead Poets collection featuring seven authors and their stories inspired by famous literary poems. If you often find yourself steering toward a dark, mysterious, isolated location; if family curses haunt you and unreliable narrators keep you in suspense, you won’t want to miss a single volume in this gripping collection.
Perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Simone St. James, Stephen King, and Shirley Jackson.
“I think somebody did something,” Mr. Taylor announced suddenly, voice raised. “My wife, my children. Not right. Not right at all.” He started crying. “I can’t convince anybody to listen to me.”
I got up and kneeled by his chair. “I’m listening, Mr. Elijah.” It didn’t dawn on me that I might have overstepped. The pain in his plea just pulled at me. I understood the feeling of being lost so well, growing up in a home filled with abuse and no one listening to my own cries for help.
He looked down at me. “I appreciate that. You find ’em. You find the one that took my Mary. She was the only woman I ever loved. And our children. Godsend. No matter what that man told her at the crossroads.”
“What man?” I asked, my blood running cold. Of course, I knew what man he was referring to, but I didn’t dare say it out loud.
He flapped his hand in the air again.
I looked at Gautier and dipped my head toward my bag. I didn’t want to upset him further, but I needed to confirm what I already suspected. Mary had met Papa Sin at the crossroads.
Gautier pulled out the book Odette gave us, still in an evidence bag, and came over and gave it to me. I pulled it out and Mr. Taylor gasped.
“Get that evil book out of my house!” He tried to get to his feet and ended up falling back in the chair. I straightened and, after thrusting the book at Gautier, helped Mr. Elijah right himself.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Cherie asked, rushing over. “What evil?” She looked at the book. “I don’t understand what’s going on, but it’s upsetting my daddy.”
“I’m sorry about that, ma’am. But your sister Natalie sent this book to Odette along with a letter claiming she was going to…” I looked down at Mr. Taylor. His eyes were wild.
“She swore she’d gotten rid of that book. She swore.” He let out a sob. “That man told her she’d birth evil. That twins were broken.” He caved in on himself, chest heaving as he cried.
“I better take him to his room,” Cherie said, her face filled with concern.
Gautier got up and helped her take him in the back. I stood there berating myself for upsetting him. I shouldn’t have asked about the book. But I had to get answers, right?
Author Bio:
Carla Vonzale Lewis likes her martini’s shaken…never stirred. Though she was born in Georgia, please don’t mistake her for a Georgia peach. She’s more like a prickly pear. Speaking of being born, someone asked her recently if she remembered her birth, and all she had to say was, “Yes, I do remember that handsy doctor pulling me out into the cold. Right Bastard!!!”
Despite being born in the South, she grew up in the North. California to be exact. And every once in a great while, she gets to experience all four seasons. But mostly, it’s just heat.
Her debut novel, LINEAGE, was released July 16, 2019 and she fully intends to ride that joy for the rest of her life.
When she’s not concocting her next contemporary fantasy story, she enjoys reading, binge watching shows on Netflix, and trying to convince her husband that getting a dog is a wonderful idea.
Lisa Towles is here to tell us about Switch, E&A Investigations book 3, mystery crime thriller-suspense.
There's also a great giveaway.
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A fast-paced techno thriller that brings a gripping
conclusion to the E&A Investigations series as Mari Ellwyn faces her past,
her nemesis, and a web of high-stakes crimes.
Switch
E&A Investigations Book 3
by Lisa Towles
Genre: Mystery Crime Thriller, Suspense
A body vanished
from the morgue. A coastal town gripped by bank heists.
The only link is a
past that someone will kill to keep buried.
In Book 3 of the E&A Investigations series, Mari Ellwyn
and Derek Abernathy return to track a string of unsettling bank robberies.
Their case takes a dark turn with the bizarre disappearance of a body from the
local morgue, a mystery connected to the vanishing of the previous Medical
Examiner, Dr. Camille Bota. Their investigation plunges them into the dangerous
world of a multi-national organization involved in suspected fraud and fringe
technology research. For Mari, the case ignites a personal quest, forcing her
to confront the long-unresolved disappearance of her father, CIA operative
Richard Ellwyn.
The deeper she digs, the more Mari realizes that both she
and her father are inextricably linked to their lifelong nemesis, the notorious
international crime boss Jacques Martel. The missing body and the secrets
surrounding Dr. Bota become entangled with her father's shadowy past and
Martel's deadly machinations. In a high-stakes collision of family secrets and
criminal enterprise, Mari must confront her father and their shared enemy
before they both become casualties in Martel's lethal game.
REVIEWS:
“A taut, high-intelligence thriller with real emotional
teeth…” - The Prairies Book Review
Fast-paced, smart, and full of twists, this is a thriller
that delivers both heart and heat." —Scott Olsen, San Francisco
Book Review
“A breakneck techno-thriller that crackles with smart dialogue, raw emotion,
and relentless tension.” – Literary Titan
This exhilarating, action-infused crime thriller deftly incorporates suspense
with harrowing drama to keep readers turning the pages. – The Book
Commentary
"This
book is an intricate, immersive, and riveting thriller, with plenty of
surprising twists and turns." — Readers' Choice
In the heart-pounding international thriller Salt Island, Mari
Ellwyn, a former-CIA private investigator, finds herself thrust into a perilous
world of high-stakes corporate espionage and ecoterrorism. As her newly formed
partnership with Derek Abernathy is put to the ultimate test, Mari faces a
daunting challenge that forces her to confront powerful ghosts from her past.
When billionaire CEO Jack Darcy's reputation and IPO deal are under threat,
Mari finds herself entangled in a web of secrets, lies and corporate fraud. The
disappearance of Jack's glamorous wife, coupled with the unraveling of a dark
secret within his esteemed environmental startup, leaves Mari with unanswered
question and a thirst for Justice.
While Mari's partner Derek goes undercover to investigate a series of
suspicious deaths on a local farm in California's Central Valley, Mari grapples
with the haunting truth about her missing father—a man with a double identity
and secret agenda. Determined to uncover the depths of her father's involvement
with her case, Mari embarks on a solo journey to the British Virgin Islands, a
hidden Caribbean refuge that holds the key to her own identity and future.
With Derek gone and time running out, Mari must decide whether to risk
everything to uncover the truth or succumb to the powerful forces that seek to
bury it forever. Get your copy of Salt Island now and brace
yourself of a relentless rollercoaster. Secrets can't stay buried forever, but
now Mari is alone, exposed and fighting for her survival.
What readers are saying about the
award-winning Salt Island:
"An often engaging tale of money, danger, and family." - Kirkus
"An intricate, gorgeously written, character-driven page-turner with some
shocking twists." - Prairies Book Reviews
"An intoxicating read, hugely entertaining." - The Book Commentary
"An exceptional thriller and a riveting work of espionage, wrongdoing, and
discovery." - Midwest Book Review
Who killed Sophie Michaud? Stay up all night reading
this award-winning psychological thriller that has readers obsessed.
Shot in the line of duty, ex
CIA operative Mari Ellwyn is again chasing adrenaline, when she reinvents
herself as a private investigator on a quest to find the killer of college
student Sophie Michaud. Every door Mari opens proves to be more perilous than
the last, but she’s hell bent on bringing the killer to justice—for Sophie,
students, and all women.
Teaming up with seasoned
investigator and former detective, Derek Abernathy, the crime-savvy pair
discover Sophie’s journal, which is filled with names and controversial
secrets—listed among them is Mari’s own father.
What secrets was Sophie
hiding?
As they connect the dots
leading to Sophie’s death, the blackmailing of a federal judge, and Mari’s own
family, Sophie’s murderer is closing in for the next kill. Facing an adversary
like none she’s ever experienced before, Mari must find her missing father and
reconcile her broken past before she becomes the killer’s next victim.
A multiple award-winning
novel, Hot House is a page-turning psychological thriller
packed with tension, secrets, suspense, and surprises. If you like Blake
Crouch, Harlan Coben, and Lisa Gardner, discover Lisa Towles’ E&A Series
today.
·First Place Winner of The Book Fest 2022 Literary Award, Mystery &
Crime category
·Literary Titan Gold Award for Fiction
Escape into this devious mind
mystery by getting your copy of Hot House now, so you can
solve the puzzle of who killed Sophie Michaud.
“Memorable characters make for a winsome, absorbing detective tale.” - Kirkus
Reviews
“Towles does a fantastic job of pacing the
storyline so that the reader hangs on to every clue... I recommend this for
fans of crime fiction writers
Baldacci, Slaughter, and Gardner.” San Francisco Book Review
“Award-winning author Lisa Towles delivers again and again with
her gripping thrillers…” Sarah
Lovett, Bestselling author
“The plot is propelled
forward by the clever use of suspense,
measured action, and ingeniously written conflict. It is a
moving and delightful read with cinematic
scenes and characters that will stick with readers for a long after
they turn the last page.” - The Book Commentary
“Hot House is an intricate
maze of blackmail, surprise and suspense delivered by
quirky characters, pithy dialog and LOL humor. Another hit by my favorite thriller writer, Lisa Towles.”
- Ana Manwaring
“Fans of investigative thrillers and mysteries will be the audience for
Hot House, but its ability to craft a sassy, fun series of dialogues and
inspections... creates an exceptional
read with a powerfully unexpected
conclusion... This will attract audiences both within and beyond the thriller and mystery genres." -
Midwest Book Review
“Towles has produced a
knockout novel with Hot House. Towles’s plot is as twisted and unpredictable... Nowhere will thriller fans find a more
engaging keep-you-on-your-toes read.” -
Literary Titan
“This meticulously
constructed, remarkable mystery deftly
explores people’s darkest flaws while revealing hard truths about the hidden
workings of the world. A fast-paced
and psychologically astute thriller.” Prairies Book Review
“Hot House is one of those books that pries your eyelids open and
doesn't relent until you've reached the end. Good luck getting Mari out of your head!” - Benjamin Bradley
Lisa Towles is an
award-winning, Amazon bestselling crime novelist and a passionate speaker on
the topics of fiction writing, creativity, and Strategic Self Care. Lisa has 11
crime novels in print with her newest title Specimen freshly released in
November 2024. The first two books of her E&A Investigations Series (Hot
House and Salt Island) were both #1 Amazon Kindle Bestsellers. Lisa also writes
standalone thrillers, such as her 2022 political thriller, The Ridders, which
won an American Fiction Award. Lisa is an active member and frequent
panelist/speaker of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and
International Thriller Writers. She has an MBA in IT Management and works
full-time in the tech industry.
Avery Arujo is here to tell us about Date Night With Death, Welcome to Moonridge book 2, paranormal mystery romance.
Read on for details...
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Welcome to Moonridge, Book 2
Paranormal Mystery/Romance
Date Published: September 23, 2025
Welcome to Moonridge, where the ghosts have come out to play and Death
just checked into the local B&B.
Running a B&B in a town cursed by magical drama wasn’t Mina
Cartwright’s dream job, but it’s home. After all of the werewolf
debacle over the summer, business has flatlined, and she’s barely
holding on financially. Her last hope? A surprise booking from the cast of The
Real Vampire Wives of Obsidian Hills, who are bringing their reality-show
chaos (and impeccable fashion) to Moonridge just in time for the Halloween
festival.
But the real trouble begins when Dex Grimm, a mysterious, breathtakingly aloof
man with a cane and a suspiciously deathly aura, checks into Room Ten. He says
he’s a writer. Mina suspects he’s hiding something … like
the fact that he might actually be the Grim Reaper.
As ghostly activity spikes, magical boundaries fray, and her guests (living
and otherwise) cause mounting mayhem, Mina finds herself caught between a
brewing supernatural crisis and a man known primarily as Death who somehow
makes her feel more alive than she has in years.
Add in a reality TV crew, rampaging ghosts, and the underlying danger of an
ancient evil reawakening in Moonridge, and Mina’s fall season is about
to be to die for.
About the Author
Avery Arujo is the pen name of a socially anxious, awkward, and proudly
introverted author of the paranormal mystery/romance series Welcome to
Moonridge. Avery lives in the northern U.S., where the scenery is beautiful,
the weather perfect, and the food divine. When not writing, you’ll find
Avery watching a horror movie or trashy reality TV or reading under a blanket
with a cup of coffee, and the world’s sweetest dog trying to prove that
they are more interesting than any old book.
For more information about the Welcome to Moonridge series, or to sign up for
the newsletter, visit welcometomoonridge.com.
Marlena Cannon is here to tell us about her fantasy cozy mystery The Vanishing Castle.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Marlena Cannon
Matthew Lett
Publication date: September 23rd 2025
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Fantasy
A fantasy mystery with hooves and heart.
Simarron isn’t a detective, he’s just a centaur with a clipboard and a nose for trouble. He left his homeland to get a professional job in the city as a magical safety inspector. However, his new life isn’t quite as he imagined it to be and his fellow housemates at Slant Row Boarding House (which is definitely not haunted) are shadier than an enchanted forest.
When a castle disappears and an alchemist ends up dead, Simarron must choose between the cozy, safe rule-bound life he’s always dreamed of and the principles that won’t let him walk away. He is a safety inspector, after all, and the city isn’t safe with a killer on the loose.
A cozy mystery set in a richly imagined gaslamp fantasy world, The Vanishing Castle delights with magical intrigue, a quirky found family, and a centaur sleuth you won’t soon forget.
Checking my pocket watch, I scuffed the moisture off my hooves as I entered the brick building. Inside, a framed newspaper article announced the founding of the Magic and Alchemy Safety and Health Administration just ten years ago. But the smell of dust, lamp oil, and crumbling paper told a different story, one far older. I caught a dim reflection of myself in the glass—enough to see that my auburn mane looked presentable—but I smoothed it down anyway while I waited.
My gaze restlessly traveled the shelves containing old books and magical oddities, including a globe of the world adorned with dynamic swirls of clouds that flowed over the model. The morning light streamed in from a pair of narrow, floor-to-ceiling windows, brightening the dark wood and heavy silence of the interior.
I glanced at my pocket watch again—one minute until my appointment. Inconveniently, the desk positioned outside the director’s office was unoccupied. Not a secretary in sight. Oh, no—they didn’t expect me to interview for a secretary position, did they?
An indistinct figure moved beyond the glass-paneled door. I shifted from hoof to hoof. What was I to do in this situation, knock or wait one more minute?
By the time I worked up the nerve to announce my presence, two more minutes ticked by. Dread slid its icy fingers into my chest, warning me that I was now late, and gave me the final push to act.
I reached forward to knock, pausing when I heard footsteps shuffle to a halt on the other side. I backed up awkwardly, my hooves clattering on the wood floor as the door swung outward.
“Hello, you must be Simarron! I’m Ken Moosekind, Executive Director of MASHA,” said a squinty man with a bushy mustache whose robes smelled faintly of tobacco. “Come in, lad, and mind your head.” He retreated behind his cluttered desk.
I ducked my head slightly, entering the office: a place of organized chaos. Books and files sat piled atop cabinets and shelves—even on the floor. Wood scraped on wood as I moved aside a chair and settled down on my haunches opposite the director.
Director Moosekind shifted a stack of papers aside. “So, Simarron, you want to join MASHA as a magical safety inspector, do you?”
Author Bio:
Marlena Cannon grew up reading "The Cat Who..." mysteries by Lilian Jackson Braun and writing stories of her own. She kept writing intermittently over the years, eventually pursuing her dream by completing the DIY MFA program in 2023, where she drafted "The Vanishing Castle," inspired by one of her childhood projects. She also designed the cover using her background in graphic design. Marlena lives with her husband and their rescue rabbits.
Christa Nardi is here to tell us about The Itch of Greed, Izzie Di Sante Mysteries #6, cozy mystery.
There's also a great giveaway.
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The Itch of Greed
Christa Nardi
(Izzie Di Sante Mysteries, #6)
Publication date: September 22nd 2025
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery
A dark cloud hangs over baseball season in small town Rosedale when star pitcher Randy Kampton is taken out of the game for good.
The DA is determined to pin the crime on Cole Rigley, a friend’s brother and fellow pitcher, citing the fierce competition for a major league trade as his motive for murder. Rigley’s brother, asks Henry and reluctant restaurant owner Izzie Di Sante to help prove his innocence. Adding fuel to the fire, Kampton stole Rigley’s girlfriend months earlier.
While Kampton’s pitching skills are universally acknowledged, no one, not fans or teammates, has a kind word to say about him, making for a long list of suspects. Rigley, on the other hand, is respected for his talent and team spirit. The wild card is another pitcher recovering from a car accident, whose open roster spot has all three men vying for the same prize.
In Rosedale, loyalty to the minor league team runs deep, and Izzie’s digging into the players’ pasts draws resentment from fans, police, and management alike. When the team’s PR person is targeted after meeting with her, the threats become all too real. The closer Izzie gets to uncovering the truth, on and off the field, the higher the stakes, and the more dangerous the game becomes.
An alert sounded on my phone as I entered Cenare, the Italian restaurant I owned with my sister Chloe. While Chloe was a foodie, I took care of the business side of things. Before our parents died, I freelanced as a journalist following homicides in New York City.
I was committed to the restaurant and Chloe, but my passion was murder, so I kept the homicide alerts coming. Occasionally, if one sparked my interest, I took some time to search out my next story. Homicides provided a rush the restaurant business didn’t give me. I put my things down on the small table in the kitchen area and pulled up the message.
“Breaking news! The Rosedale Thorny Bats will be hurting this season. Their best pitcher, Randy Kampton, died under suspicious circumstances. His body was discovered by the custodians in the Thorny Bats locker room early this morning. Stay tuned for details.”
The announcement prompted me to check my other sources for unsolved homicides, although I’d never heard of the Thorny Bats or Kampton. I assumed if the man was a pitcher, the sport was baseball. It was spring and our guests or employees occasionally mentioned baseball. Growing up, Chloe and I spent most of our time in the restaurant. We lived and breathed Cenare.
My escape was writing. I knew from experience that the death of those close to you changed your life. My stories focused on the impact of a sudden death – usually a homicide – on those left behind. I found less resistance from law enforcement when I focused on cold cases or those that were stalled. Most often, my casual interviews with those who knew the victim provided clues to the killer.
Unfortunately, sometimes the killer targeted me. Having lived in New York City for five years, I was prepared for that, even in small town Pinewood, Maryland, where murders rarely happened. With the first ever murder in our small town a few years back, I clashed with the local police detective when the immediate conclusion was a burglary, and I disagreed. For the record, I was right.
With the murder of an athlete, Kampton’s death would likely be quickly solved if the alert was any indication. Not finding anything else of note in the alerts, I went through my morning routine of checking income, paying bills, placing orders, and taking inventory. At least I used my degree in business management. I preferred taking care of those tedious tasks before anyone else arrived.
As usual, Chloe arrived with a breakfast treat as I finished the accounting and started the inventory.
“Good morning, Chloe. Those look and smell delicious.”
“Thanks, Izzie. Help yourself. I got this idea in my head and combined ingredients from an apple brownie recipe and a cinnamon streusel cupcake. Ryan assured me they were more than edible.” With money from the estate and the restaurant, Chloe had completed her training at the culinary institute nearby. In and out of the restaurant, she often created dishes. Breakfast for me and whomever else wanted a taste tended not to be traditional Italian. For the restaurant, she kept with the family tradition and stuck to Italian dishes.
I chuckled. “I don’t know how you can cook here all day and then try out new things when you get home.”
“Well, Ryan brought some work home that he needed to get done like yesterday. Only he didn’t get the assignment until that morning.” She shrugged. “I got creative in the kitchen while he worked.”
Since she and Ryan married a few months ago, she hadn’t been as creative with her morning treats, though I could always count on her to provide my breakfast. When she took a week off for her honeymoon, I had to fend for myself, usually stopping at the local bakery on my way to work.
“It’s delicious! Not quite brownie and not quite muffin. Still very moist and I’m a sucker for cinnamon and apples. I’ll have to freeze some of these for the next time I see Henry. Now that he’s taken the detective exam and he may be working part time in Franklin, I hope to see him more often.”
Henry and I had started off as friends and our relationship moved forward from there. He was always a willing assistant and backup when I pursued a story. Helping me out prompted him to pursue his private investigator credentials.
“Speak of the devil.” I showed Chloe the phone, took the container of treats, and sat down at the table.
“Hi, Henry. How are you?”
“Good. I may have a case for you and wanted to give you a heads up. Do you have a few minutes?”
I grabbed a piece of paper off the nearby printer. “Sure. What’s going on?”
“You know the guy who always gives me a hard time about driving an automatic or having a family car? Phil Rigley?”
“Dark hair, hazel eyes, not quite as tall as you, and maybe a year or two younger. A southern twang.”
“That’s him. He called this morning, wanting my opinion. His brother, Cole, plays ball with the Thorny Bats. Cole contacted Phil this morning. Something about a player dying and the police interviewing everyone. Phil didn’t have many details, but he wanted me to look into it.”
My phone pinged with an alert. “I caught one announcement earlier and then another just came in. A custodian found Randy Kampton, a pitcher for that team, dead this morning. It was a sports broadcaster the first time, the usual police blotter the second time. Nothing else. Where did the Thorny Bats come from? Is there a new major league team in Maryland?”
“No. The Baltimore Orioles is the only major league team. The Thorny Bats is a triple-A minor league team out in Rosedale. The players are good and some eventually get picked up by a major league team. I played in college and a few of my teammates went on to the minor leagues. We lost touch but I may see if I can locate them.”
“The news I caught indicated a suspicious death. Thorny Bats is a weird name for a team though.”
“Minor league teams often have interesting names, usually related somehow to their location and often suggested by fans. Rosedale, thorns, and baseball bats – Thorny Bats. Makes perfect sense to me.” He chuckled. “Keep me posted. If it’s a homicide, Phil thinks his brother will be a person of interest. Both Cole and Kampton are pitchers, and Kampton stole his girlfriend.”
“Both would give Cole two motives. I’ll call you after lunch with any updates. Katie just walked in. Right now I best finish the inventory and start the lunch prep.”
Katie was a chef-intern from the culinary institute. We’d hired two to help Chloe and relieve her of 12-hour days. A brunette in her mid-twenties, Katie stood a good six inches shorter than my five foot ten, with the figure of someone who competed in gymnastics through high school and still used her gym membership. She added to Chloe’s energy in the kitchen. Chloe hummed and listened to her favorite tunes when not directing Katie. They worked well together and became fast friends.
Jerry, another intern, comes in mid-afternoon, when Katie leaves. Jerry towers over Katie at six foot. Husky, he looks more like a bodyguard than a chef. Before switching careers after twenty years, Jerry worked for stuffed-shirt lawyers as a paralegal. He burned out about the time his mother became ill. He started as a server and moved into the second intern position. Jerry’s personality and age lent itself to being a calming influence in the kitchen.
“Katie, be sure to try Chloe’s latest breakfast treat, but save some for Henry, please.”
She laughed. “Will do.”
Inventory done, I moved to the restaurant side. As I dressed tables, Jennifer, the manager, joined me. She became the manager when the original manager left. A long-term employee since before Chloe and I took over, Jennifer was in her mid-thirties, older than both Chloe and me. She continued in the role of server most often, but also helped with training new servers, and took on hostess responsibilities when I took time off to chase down a story.
As the waitstaff filtered in, I raced upstairs and put on a dress, a throwback to when our parents were alive. Our mother thought it added an element of class and set Cenare apart from fast-food places. As I reentered the kitchen area, I took a deep breath. I might not be a foodie, but the smell of the spices made me smile.
Lunch went smoothly and I fidgeted at the hostess stand. I wanted to check my computer and phone for any updates on the Kampton death. It had been months since a case grabbed my attention. This time, it sounded like Henry and his buddy wanted me involved. I wasn’t too sure how the league, minor or otherwise, would appreciate me asking questions. Sometimes questions uncovered secrets best left untold, at least from their perspective.
Author Bio:
Christa Nardi is an accomplished author of cozy mysteries with an edge - still no graphic violence or sex or profanity, but touching on social issues. Christa's background is in higher education and psychology, much as her protagonists, Sheridan Hendley in the Cold Creek and Sheridan Hendley mystery, along with Stacie Maroni in the Stacie Maroni mystery series. She has always loved mysteries - reading them, writing them, and solving them. She reviews books on her blog, predominantly cozy mysteries.
Christa is a member of Sisters in Crime and can be found on occasion at Bouchercon, Killer Nashville, or Malice Domestic. She writes four series: Cold Creek Cozy Mysteries, Sheridan Hendley Mysteries, Stacie Maroni Mysteries, and the Izzie Di Sante mysteries. Christa also collaborates with Cassidy Salem in writing the Hannah and Tamar Mysteries, featuring teen sleuth sisters.
When not writing or reading, Christa and her husband enjoy travel, their three grandchildren, and their dogs. Christa supports dog rescue and local shelters.
Leah Orr is here to tell us about her cozy mystery The Retirees.
The book is on preorder. Read on for details...
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Retirement has never felt so deadly
Cozy Mystery
Date Published: January 5, 2026
Publisher: Orrplace Press
Welcome to the idyllic yet eccentric retirement community of The
Ocean’s Edge—where retirement has never felt so deadly.
Disco is dead, there’s a serial killer on the loose, the coffin dodgers
are solving cold cases, and only the neighborhood cat knows where all the
proverbial bodies are buried.
When sharp-tongued sugar heiress Diana is ousted from the empire she helped
build, she retreats to a posh 55+ paradise expecting peace, maybe even a pool
boy. Instead, she finds a ragtag group of retirees with a knack for solving
cold cases—and a disturbing knack for attracting new ones. She quickly
finds herself entangled with this quirky yet capable team of senior sleuths: a
psychic, tarot-reading twin duo, a retired detective, a conspiracy-minded tech
guru, and a nurse who might just talk to animals.
Among tarot cards, a talking cat, and dark web dives, this misfit crew
uncovers more than just bingo night secrets. Because in a place this sunny,
the shadows run deep, and someone at The Ocean’s Edge has blood on their
hands.
As the group begins investigating cold cases, darker truths emerge, uncovering
clues that tie back to mysterious pasts, hidden traumas, and residents with
more secrets than memories.
Hilarious, heartwarming, and deliciously twisted, The Retirees is a witty,
tightly woven, charming, cozy mystery that reminds us it’s never too
late for redemption, reinvention, or revenge—and that sometimes the most
unexpected heroes come with walkers, wisdom, and wildly colorful
personalities.
About the Author
Leah Orr resides with her husband and three daughters in Jensen Beach,
Florida. Leah is an Amazon #1 best-selling mystery novelist of The She Shed.
She has written 14 books and sold over 100,000 copies worldwide.
Leah donates the profits from her books to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Upon learning that her daughter Ashley was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis
(while still in the womb), Orr knew she wanted to do something special. With
some input from her mother and three daughters, it was decided that she'd
write books to benefit the CF Foundation. The Orr Family has raised over
$1,400,000 in the past 22 years to help find a cure.
Leah's mission to help cure Cystic Fibrosis has been featured on ABC’s
Health Watch, NBC Today South Florida, ABC Today South Florida, CBS South
Florida, CBS This Morning Virginia, NBC The 10! Show Philadelphia, Fox 4 News
Morning Blend, The Daily Buzz, and Lifetime TV’s The Balancing Act. She
has also been featured in publications such as Forbes Magazine, Medical News
Today, The Boston Globe, The Miami Herald, and The Sun-Sentinel. Her daughter
Ashley was also a recipient of Oprah’s generosity in The Big Give.
Popular mysteries by Leah Orr include: The Executive Suite, The Bartender, The
Champagne Toast, The She Shed, and The Fruitcake. Her popular children’s
books include: Messy Tessy, It Wasn’t Me, and Goodnight, Molly.
Orr and her husband were recently nominated as one of Florida’s Finest
Couples by the CF Foundation and included in “In The Spotlight” on
CFF.org. Leah was also nominated as one of Broward County’s top 100
Outstanding Women. Orr grew up in Boston, MA, and graduated from the
University of Miami.
