Death Hits the High Notes - The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series - Cozy Mystery - and a Giveaway #Mystery #CozyMystery #Giveaway

GG Calpo is here to tell us about Death Hits the High Notes, The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series, a cozy mystery.

There's also a great giveaway.

_______________________

Death Hits the High Notes

GG Calpo

(The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery Series)

Publication date: October 7th 2026

Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Mystery

Trouble is brewing at Whitman’s Port Choral Society as choir members drop dead and Detective Jonathan Storm raises more questions than answers in his investigation. When Stefan, the choir’s soloist, gets weaker by the day, Meg and her friends take matters into their own hands. And if a murder investigation was not enough to elevate anyone’s blood pressure, Meg finds herself in danger tied to her past that she’s struggling to understand.

Will Meg and her friends stop the killer before Stefan becomes the next victim—and before Meg’s past catches up with her?

Join these golden-age sleuths as they follow the clues, protect their own, and prove that friendship is the strongest weapon against a killer.

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EXCERPT:

There were two new faces I didn’t recognize from last year’s concert. They looked familiar, though I couldn’t place where I had seen them before. The conductor stood in front, his back to us as he summoned the choir’s eyes to him with a few taps of his baton. He took a deep breath, synchronizing the choir’s breathing to his own. Gesturing with his baton, he released the soprano’s voice—rich, powerful, and throbbing with emotion. The beginning strains of the solo filled the auditorium. Holding his right hand at waist level, the conductor flicked his right index finger left, then right, counting the beats.

“That’s Amanda, in case you didn’t know,” Liz told me behind her raised hand.

I nodded and tried to stop my giggles when Liz’s shoulder hit mine.

“Will…you…shut…up?” Barbara widened her eyes more with each word.

Liz waved her hands in surrender, twitched her body deeper into the chair, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. If it weren’t for the trembling of her shoulders, Liz could have fooled us with her pose of deep listening. But we knew her, and all she got from Barbara was another shove. Despite her unfailingly put-together appearance—manicured nails and hair always expertly cut and dyed—Liz hadn’t left her teen years behind. We must have been making a racket because a woman three rows down turned around and glared at us.

Liz and I looked at each other and decided to settle down and listen. I swayed, imagining my soul lifting in prayer, soaring past the lights of the auditorium and ever more upwards into the wide open sky beyond the school building. Then it happened. One minute I was up in the heavens, one with the song; the next minute I was crashing without a parachute.

The glorious voice stopped, leaving echoes of the high note ringing in the auditorium. A harsh cough sounded, jarring and unexpected. The accompanist stopped. The conductor jerked forward while the soprano toppled gracelessly to the floor, face down. Music scores fluttered in the air before landing gently around the stricken woman. A choir member huddled over her while the rest stared in shock.

“She’s not breathing!” The grief-stricken wail rattled my bones.

Barbara jumped up from her chair, her eyes fixed on Stefan, who stood frozen in his place, his eyes fixed on Amanda.

Amanda…who wasn’t moving.

I whipped my phone out of my bag and dialed nine-one-one. How long would help take to get here? Stefan moved to where Amanda was, kneeling to touch her on her shoulder. What was Stefan waiting for? Why was he not giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? A few other choir members crept nearer but then backed away when Stefan waved them off. Start CPR, I wanted to shout, but couldn’t because the 911 operator had picked up my call.

Then the door to the auditorium opened, and in walked Edna, former third-grade teacher of Post Elementary School and the last of our group. One look at the stage and the woman laid out on the floor had Edna gasping, loud enough for everyone to hear, “Oh no, not another murder?”

Author Bio:

GG Calpo is a retired lawyer and accountant who traded contracts and numbers for the far more enjoyable chaos of fictional crime. Now she writes cozy whodunits featuring warm-hearted golden-aged sleuths who’ve seen it all, heard it all and will investigate a murder with zero hesitation. She loves stories where the stakes are personal, family and friendships are paramount, with characters who refuse to follow the outline and endings that pull the rug out. When not plotting twisty crimes—on paper only, of course—she spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She lives in Central New Jersey with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget.

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Hook, Line, and Murder - The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery - Mystery - Cozy Mystery - and a Giveaway #Mystery #CozyMystery #Giveaway

GG Calpo is here to tell us about Hook, Line, and Murder, The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery, a cozy mystery.

There's also a great giveaway.

_______________________

Hook, Line, and Murder

GG Calpo

(The Sweet TOOTH Murder Mystery)

Published by: The Wild Rose Press

Publication date: February 9th 2026

Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Mystery

What does Meg, a retired kindergarten teacher, do when the killer of her husband and only child still walks free a year after dirt had covered their graves? Go rogue, of course!

When the detective responsible for Meg’s nightmares takes over the murder investigation of her former student, Meg hunts the killer down with help from her friends. Their cozy lunches at Sweet Buns Café turn into tactical meetings while these retired grade school teachers get themselves in trouble better suited to those in their twenties. And to put the icing on their cream scones, someone is after Meg. Is it the killer? Or has Meg uncovered secrets better left buried with her loved ones?

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EXCERPT:

The day was beautiful, with clear skies and a mild snap in the air. It was cold yet warm with the right amount of heat from the sun, making it the perfect spring day. Motorboats and sailboats dipped in and out of the water, out by Poet’s Bay. And at the edge of the harbor were the fishermen, alone or in groups of two or three, a rod in their hands and their tackle boxes opened beside them. We rounded the corner, almost done with our walk, when we saw mothers dragging their children away and fathers covering the eyes of the children in their arms. Pushing against the stream of parents scrambling away were others whose eyes were fixed on the man by the harbor’s edge. A man on whose fishing line dangled a catch with, what I thought were, red fins and a red tail swaying lazily around the hook.

Red? In the salt waters of Poet’s Bay? As I stood there trying to figure out what I was seeing, Barbara shoved her way into the crowd. I followed, my curiosity getting the better of me. Murmurs of “Good morning” and “Good to see you, Mrs. B” trailed behind me, changing to “You sure you want to see this, Mrs. B?” and “I wouldn’t go any further if I were you, Mrs. B.” We fetched up to the front and looked down on the ground before us while the fisherman beside us puked his guts out.

It wasn’t a fish he had caught.

Instead, on the ground was a hand. Just a hand. Nothing else.

Author Bio:

GG Calpo is a retired lawyer and accountant who traded contracts and numbers for the far more enjoyable chaos of fictional crime. Now she writes cozy whodunits featuring warm-hearted golden-aged sleuths who’ve seen it all, heard it all and will investigate a murder with zero hesitation. She loves stories where the stakes are personal, family and friendships are paramount, with characters who refuse to follow the outline and endings that pull the rug out. When not plotting twisty crimes—on paper only, of course—she spends her time reading, crocheting blankets and sweaters for her five grandchildren, watching mystery TV shows and taking long walks in her neighborhood. She lives in Central New Jersey with her husband and two corgis, Whiskey and Nugget.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook

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Why Aurora Ran - Mystery - and a Giveaway #Mystery #Giveaway

Nora Kingsley is here to tell us about her mystery Why Aurora Ran.

There's also a great giveaway.

____________________

Two weeks before her wedding, Aurora Larrimore slapped her wedding planner, punched her florist, stole the florist's van, and drove off.

Is Aurora missing, or is she just gone? Those are two different types of investigations.

Why Aurora Ran

by Nora Kingsley

Genre: Mystery

Two weeks before her wedding, Aurora Larrimore slapped her wedding planner, punched her florist, stole the florist's van, and drove off.

Her family calls her unstable. Melissa "Pissy Lou" Jenkins isn't convinced. A blunt, brilliant skip tracer for the family's law firm, Pissy Lou notices what everyone else misses, and her Tourette's has a habit of announcing exactly what she thinks of the people she questions. She is sent to find Aurora in time to save the wedding, and she starts with the question nobody else asked: is Aurora missing, or is she just gone? Those are two different types of investigations.

Her interviews turn up stories about a controlling mother, a fiancé whose answers don't fit, and a carefully polished lie the whole family seems to be protecting. Before Pissy Lou can find the runaway bride, she has to answer the question at the heart of the case. Everyone involved in the wedding has a theory about Aurora, but Pissy Lou is the only one asking why she ran.

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Chapter 4

Vendors and a Client

 

Pissy Lou was at her desk by eight the next morning. She poured her yellow-orange mug full of iced coffee and opened her notebook to a fresh page. The Larrimore file was open in front of her. She had a list of calls to make before she drove out to Devereaux Heights, where Richard and Celeste Larrimore lived. She had verified information on the people she had intended to talk to the day before.

First on her list was the caterer, a woman named Darlene Puckett who ran the Fork & Flourish out of a commercial kitchen on the east side of town. Ms. Puckett answered on the second ring.

After introductions, Pissy Lou got down to work. “What did you do when Celeste Larrimore called to change the menu for the wedding?

“I told Aurora everything,” Puckett said. She had the tone of a woman who was waiting to talk about this situation. “As soon as I realized what her mother was doing, I called Aurora directly. I did not care whose toes I stepped on. It is her wedding.” She paused. “That woman, Celeste Larrimore, called me four times in two weeks. She wanted to swap out the entire menu. Aurora and Hayes had tasted everything; they’d signed off on a menu, and we had a contract. The menu was set. Then here comes Celeste wanting another tier on the cake, to swap out the wedding topper, and then she wanted chicken marsala and salmon added to the menu. She said Aurora was ‘too informal’ in her choices, like it was a character flaw.” Another pause, a deliberate one. “I have dealt with a lot of difficult mothers of the bride. That woman is in an extra-obnoxious category by herself.”

Pissy Lou thanked her and moved on.

The printer, a slow-talking man who identified himself only as “Bill, from Printed to Perfection,” confirmed the invitation situation, Aurora and Hayes had selected a plain card with an elegant texture, letterpress printing, a classic Garamond font, and wording that named them both first and their parents second. Celeste had called and instructed him to change the wording so that it read: “Mr. and Mrs. Richard Larrimore request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter …” which was not what Aurora had ordered, and not what was on the signed proof. Celeste provided her credit card, so he did a second run with the new wording. He then emailed the new proof to Aurora. She called back and sounded angry. She told him to throw those out, and hoped he still had the original invitations. He did. She also made him promise to call her again if Celeste tried to change them again.

"This happens more often than you might think," Bill said in his deadpan way. "Parents argue about wording. Grandparents argue about wording. I once had a bride's aunt threaten to sue over cardstock. That is why I never throw invitations away until after the wedding. Somebody is always upset about something.”

"Was this unusual?" she asked.

"As I said, no, happens all the time. But this was a bit new, Aurora wanted me to call her personally if her mother contacted me again. I mean the woman got caught the first time. Why would she try it again?”

Pissy Lou’s call to BarbyAnne Knowles, the events coordinator at the wedding venue, was more involved. Aurora and Hayes had booked The Carrington, an estate property outside of town with a bridal ceremony and reception space, gardens, and a catering kitchen. Celeste had called The Carrington and, citing unspecified “concerns,” canceled the booking, then booked a different property, Magnolia Hall, which had a more formal aesthetic. Pissy Lou suspected this site had a greater prestige among the circles Celeste traveled in. Aurora had called The Carrington, discovered the cancellation, and re-booked it immediately.

“I was surprised at how calm Aurora was. If my mother had pulled that on me, I would have been swearing something awful,” BarbyAnne said. “Then she asked that no further changes be accepted from anyone other than herself, and that such changes had to be in writing. I could tell she had thought this out before she called. I have never had another bride who had to ask me to do th Her last vendor call was to Beaufort Bridal, the shop where Aurora's gown had come from. The owner, Serafina Beaufort, ran the store her grandmother had opened and had been dressing Nunenberg brides for over forty years. She remembered the gown without having to look anything up.

"Aurora picked an ivory, sleeveless couture gown, clean lines, no fuss. It had a slightly uneven hem, and ended just above her ankles so she could move easily. It suited her perfectly, and she knew it the minute she had it on. You can always tell," Serafina said. "And she had an eye, that girl. She chose all four bridesmaids' dresses here too — peacock blue, midcalf, with three-quarter sleeves of ivory illusion lace, and little flowers embroidered into the lace in the same blue, so they seemed to bloom right on the skin. Each one was cut a little differently, but you could see at a glance they belonged together. Those women came to their fittings laughing, and every single one asked me if she could wear hers again afterward. In this business, that is the highest compliment there is."

"And the bride's gown?"

"Then the alterations started.” Serafina Beaufort paused before continuing. “Her mother ordered the changes directly, four separate times, and mostly between fittings, so Aurora never saw them coming. Lace sleeves. A higher neckline. Lace layered over the bodice. She addeda train and veil. Mrs. Larrimore was paying for the work, so my hands were tied, but every fitting, that poor girl came in and found less of her own dress waiting for her. At the last one she said something about us turning it into a lacy burka. One of my fitters laughed. I did not."

"Four rounds of alterations," Pissy Lou said. "Is that normal?"

"Honey, in forty years I have taken gowns in, let gowns out, and re-beaded an entire bodice overnight for a bride who changed her mind. I have never un-designed a dress four times for a woman who was not the one wearing it." She paused. "I heard Aurora took the gown with her when she left. Good. She should burn it. I've unpicked a lot of mistakes in forty years, but that gown's got four rounds of her mother sewn in too deep for any seam ripper. Fire's just the last alteration, and it's the only one her mother can't reverse."

"So, you think Aurora intends to burn the dress?" Pissy Lou asked.

"Honey, if that were my dress, I'd pour a can of gasoline on it and strike a match," Serafina said without hesitation.

 

Nora Kingsley lives on Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where the landscape, the weather, and the Atlantic provide a constantly changing backdrop for an active imagination. Why Aurora Ran is Nora Kingsley's debut and the first in the Lou Jenkins mystery series.

A lifelong reader, Nora is happiest wandering through historical fiction, mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy, especially books that offer a compelling world, an intriguing puzzle, or characters worth following well past bedtime. Her interests extend beyond the page to music, movies, cooking, and art, and she has always been drawn to the many different ways people create and tell stories.

She shares her life with the people and animals she loves, an unreasonable number of interests, and the firm conviction that there is always room for another book.

 

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Hidden Words - Gothic Mystery - and a Giveaway #Mystery #GothicMystery #Giveaway

Christine Roy is here to tell us about Hidden Words, a gothic mystery.

There's also a great giveaway.

_________________

Hidden Words

Christine Roy

Publication date: September 22nd 2026

Genres: Adult, Gothic, Mystery

A Novel by Award-Winning Author Christine Roy

Some secrets don’t stay buried. They wait for the right mind to hear them.

In 1994, on the rocky shores of Cape Ann, Massachusetts, Ben Barrows begins his senior year at Masters’ Preparatory like a dead man walking, half his friendships already over, just not yet buried. Then Dana Kirkland arrives: a new student, a rival dancer to his powerful ex-girlfriend, and the one person who might save him. Together, Ben and Dana try to hold on to love against a tidal wave of pain and treachery neither of them saw coming.

In the present, Joey Barrows is drowning in grief. As he crosses the graduation stage, a terrifying gift awakens, the unspoken words of everyone around him, pouring uninvited into his mind. When Joey discovers his distant, unstable father shares this same curse, the door to a devastating past swings open, releasing secrets, obsession, and ghosts that refuse to stay silent.

Told across two timelines, Hidden Words is a gothic, speculative mystery about the inheritance of trauma — and the terrible cost of truths left unspoken.

Perfect for fans of We Were Liars, Black Swan, and The Turnout.

Hidden Words deals with mature themes including trauma, family abuse, and sensitive interpersonal relationships. Recommended for mature young adult and adult readers.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Raising his head, he approached the distinguished, black-gowned dean. The ringing in his ears pitched higher. With cold dread sluicing through his veins, he shook the dean’s hand. His mind crackling with a storm of energy, he looked the man straight in the eyes and took his diploma.

Guess scholarship kid didn’t waste our money.

“I’m sorry, Sir. What?” He squinted up at the unsmiling man. A distorted hum circled around him as the man’s words echoed in his head—clear, yet unspoken, not the shadowy wisps of noise he’d experienced before.

“Keep it moving, Barrows.”

“It’s just that I…” Joey stammered, his breath ragged. Shame bubbled up through the scars on his body like oil from the ground. He gaped at the dean’s stone face. “I heard you.” The words slipped from his lips.

“Christ, just move Barrows.”

I’ve had enough of your pathetic sad-boy act.

Joey nodded, stomach twisting. His thoughts raced and twisted in his head. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. He wasn’t psychic; nobody was. Withering beneath the dean’s glare, he flicked his tassel to the left and stumbled to the end of the stage. Desperate, he scanned the crowd, fairytale hope rising in his mind.

Maybe he was there.

Not likely.

Ben Barrows worked and hid. A son’s graduation didn’t fall into either of those categories, especially since these were the halls of Ben’s past. Traces of that Ben, shining and connected, existed in pictures behind glass cases like an extinct museum specimen.

They looked so similar, with their dark hair, wide-set green eyes, and lanky frames.

But that Ben was a ghost.

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Worse Than Any Bullet - Fidelia Mysteries #2 - Mystery - Thriller - and a Giveaway #Mystery #Thriller #Giveaway

Felicia Watson is here to tell us about her mystery-thriller Worse Than Any Bullet, Fidelia Mysteries #2.

There's also a great giveaway.

______________________

Worse Than Any Bullet

Felicia Watson

(Fidelia Mysteries, #2)

Publication date: August 25th 2026

Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Everyone thinks their mother is murder but for mafia-family renegade Lucia Scafetti, that’s the literal truth.

When she laid her hitman father to rest, PI Lucia Scafetti thought she’d finally escaped her family’s criminal clutches. Ten years later, her estranged mom blows into Philly for a short visit and within days a friend’s dad is brutally murdered and Lucia is being menaced by her cousin and his fellow mafiosi. After her mother disappears, everyone: foes, friends, and free agents, descends upon Lucia in search of the thumb-drive her mom stole from a Caribbean drug lord. Lucia learns the hard way that the criminals besieging her will gladly kill to get their hands on that thumb-drive.

With the help of an intriguing ex-soldier, Lucia employs her skills, both detective and deadly, to solve the murder and unlock the secret of that enigmatic thumb-drive before it claims another life, be it her own – or that of her recently re-discovered son.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“Someone’s in there.”

Lucia snapped into action, ordering Robbie to stay in the car with the dogs and retrieving her Glock from the secret compartment in the back seat of the Chevelle SS 454. She shook her head, indicating to Robbie he wasn’t getting an immediate explanation about the compartment and then stealthily approached the house.

Lucia decided to go around back and enter from the kitchen. The deadbolt had been defeated and there was no sound from the alarm system. This was no ordinary burglar.

Weapon ready, she crept into the living room where she could discern the muffled footsteps of someone descending the stairs. Lucia pointed her gun at the source of the noise and at the opportune moment, flipped on the lights. A hefty, masked and armed man froze on the fourth step as he realized he was facing a cocked gun.

Lucia warned, “If you’re thinking of trying anything, you better be a better shot than I am. Which is…unlikely.”

The man held his right hand out to his side, his gun loose. In a weirdly thick voice, he rumbled, “Hey, I’m not looking for trouble.”

“Breaking into my house armed with a military-grade semi is a really strange way to prove that.”

He chuckled and moved the gun slightly in a non-threatening manner. “Military grade? Nah, this is just a—”

“A Beretta Cx4 Storm. Which means you are definitely prepared for trouble.”

Rather than refuting her point, he urged, “I just want the thumb-drive, the real one. The one your mother stole from me.”

Not recognizing the term ‘thumb-drive’, Lucia silently contemplated whether this guy could possibly be looking for a body-part from someone her mother had killed. “You worked with my mom? Who are you?”

“I’m not wearing this mask ’cause I’m ugly. Who I am is none of your business. Just hand over the drive and no one gets hurt.”

“Seeing as I have the drop on you, that’s a toothless threat,” Lucia declared. “And I don’t know what it is you’re looking for, but you’re not gonna find it here.”

“For your sake, lady, I hope you’re lying.”

“And why is that?”

“Because I’m not the last person who’s gonna come looking for that thumb-drive. And I’m sure as hell not the most dangerous.”

Nodding at his gun, she countered, “Hard to believe. And I don’t even know what a thumb-drive is let alone—”

“It’s a computer thing,” Robbie announced from somewhere behind her back, his presence until that moment completely undetected. “You use it to—”

“Robbie?!” Her eyes remained trained on the masked man as Lucia barked, “What the hell! What are you doing here?”

“I was worried about you so I came to check. Don’t worry, I left the dogs in the car. You know, so they won’t get hurt.”

“But it’s okay if you get hurt?!”

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction this argument provided, the man on the stairs suddenly leapt over the banister and dashed towards the kitchen.

Lucia followed but he was too quick for her. Standing on the back deck, listening to his footsteps retreating into the darkness, Lucia briefly considered giving chase. She quickly discarded the idea. Not only was there Robbie to think of, but Lucia was loathe to incite a gunfight that might frighten Mrs. Schwartz, the elderly widow who occupied the twin house attached to her own.

When she got back in the house Robbie held up his backpack. “I got it.” He took a deep breath and then said, “Wow, that was….”

“Terrifyingly dangerous?” she offered, while surveying the wreckage around her. The intruder had obviously conducted a very thorough search.

“Nah, exciting! I knew it was safe when I heard you handling that guy like a pro. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed in the kitchen. I swear.”

Lucia sighed heavily and impulsively put her free arm around his shoulder. “Rule number one, Rob? When guns are drawn? The situation is never, ever, safe.” She pulled him to face her and stared intently into his eyes. “Capish?”

Author Bio:

Felicia Watson started writing stories as soon as they handed her a pencil in first grade. She’s especially drawn to character driven tales, where we see people we recognize, people who struggle with their mistakes and shortcomings, acknowledge them, and use that knowledge to grow into wiser human beings.

When not writing, Felicia spends her time chasing after her not-so-brilliant, but darling and beloved dogs, is chased by her truly brilliant, darling and beloved husband, is known to friends and family as an amateur pastry chef, and still finds time for swimming and her day job as a scientist.

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Dark Waters - Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction - #Black #AfricanAmerican #Mystery #Thriller #Suspense

Nick Haskins is here to tell us about his Dark Waters series, Black & African American mystery, thriller & suspense fiction.

Read on for details...

_______________________

 

Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction

Date Published: 06-06-2023

Publisher: KCIN Entertainment Group, LLC

Books 1 & 2 (Book 3 releases September 8, 2026.)

The Dark Waters series follows the rise and fall of one of Philadelphia's most powerful families.

Judge Keenan Waters and his family have spent decades building a legacy of power, influence, and respect. But behind the perfect public image lie buried secrets, betrayal, and deadly consequences that threaten to destroy everything they've built.

As loyalties are tested and relationships crumble, the Waters family is pushed closer to the edge of ruin. With shocking twists and intense family drama, the Dark Waters series keeps the readers turning pages until the very end.

Perfect for fans of Black & African American Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Fiction, the first two books are available now, with the shocking conclusion, Dark Waters 3, arriving September 8, 2026.

 

 About the Author

Nick Haskins is the author of the Dark Waters series, as well as novels She's Obsessed, Betrayed, My Husband's Wife, and On the Edge of Heat.

Known for his suspenseful storytelling and unforgettable characters, Haskins has spent more than a decade building a catalog of contemporary drama and suspense that has attracted readers across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where he still resides, Haskins began his publishing career in 2011 and has remained committed to independently producing professional, reader-focused books. In addition to writing novels, he is creating film and visual media projects based on his work.

Haskins continues to connect with readers while developing new stories to expand his publishing catalog.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Instagram

Purchase Link

Amazon

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The Case of the Red Flame - Tristan Beaufort Humorous Mysteries #1 - Mystery - Comedy - and a Giveaway #Mystery #Comedy #Giveaway

Lila Fogle is here to tell us about The Case of the Red Flame, Tristan Beaufort Humorous Mysteries #1, a mystery comedy.

There's also a great giveaway.

_____________________

The Case of the Red Flame

Lila Fogle

(Tristan Beaufort Humorous Mysteries, #1)

Publication date: August 1st 2026

Genres: Adult, Comedy, Mystery

Lucy is an apathetic young woman who is hired to assist eccentric private detective Tristan Beaufort, a man whose wildness, endless optimism, and occasional naiveté seem at odds with his chosen career. Her job is to keep a written account of his cases, to play the Watson to his Holmes.

They are hired by a woman who suspects her wife, Professor Jennifer Darvis, is having an affair. What begins as a simple investigation of adultery soon spirals into a case of conspiracy, arson, and murder.

Professor Darvis is a delusionally self-assured academic whose writings regarding the existence of a shadowy organization known only as The Quadrette have failed to find an audience outside of her students, for whom she has made her book assigned reading. However, an FBI agent shows up on her doorstep, insisting that her theories have spawned a series of murders, and requesting her help in preventing further deaths.

Soon, Tristan and Lucy find themselves unravelling a plot surrounding Darvis which seems as though it could not exist, despite the evidence they encounter at every turn. Their adventures will bring them up against the police, the enigmatic FBI Agent, and the leader of The Quadrette herself.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

The following is not a tale for the faint-hearted.

I wish I could say we all made it out alive, but this is not the case. Some languish behind prison bars and some rest beneath the dirt. Others have returned to the comforts of home.

I escaped with my life, though you have likely guessed as much.

What follows is a humble account of my time with Tristan Beaufort. Looking back, I would say he is best described as a man who would place himself among the Philip Marlowes and Sam Spades of the world, but was far too kindhearted to be hardboiled, and too distinct to be discreet.

The rest must be read to be believed.

I was in my twenty-seventh year, when I first met Tristan Beaufort. My life had been shaping up to be less than ideal, though perhaps of some interest to one of the more burned-out existentialists. While others settled into their careers and families, I passed from one temporary job to the next, never in one workplace for long.

I had resigned myself to this fate: this life of endless, stalling distraction. I accepted my lot with the kind of stoicism Marcus Aurelius himself would envy. At least, this is what I told the few who asked.

I am aware that a clinician might have known my distraction by another name, but that is neither here nor there. Out of respect for the reader, I shall elaborate no further.

My practiced resignation experienced a subtle shift when, one day, I received a phone call. The woman on the line thought she had a job that would suit me well. She recalled my interest in the written word, and thought I might make good use of it in this position.

Her voice droned through the finer details, barraging my ears with her anesthetic. From amidst the tide of useless words and mundane utterances, I picked up the heart of the message towards which she uneconomically wandered: I would become the assistant to a famed private detective, Tristan Beaufort.

Famed. If the name sounded familiar, the reason escaped me.

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

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A Weaponized Mind - The Mind Sleuth Series - Murder Mystery #Mystery #MurderMystery

Bruce M. Perrin is here to tell us about A Weaponized Mind, The Mind Sleuth Series, a murder mystery.

Read on for details...

____________________

 

The Mind Sleuth Series

 

Murder Mystery

Date Published: June 23, 2026

Sometimes, Wilford DeBeer’s high-risk, high-reward financial plans worked, and when they did, the clients of DeBeer Wealth Management lauded his brilliance. Unfortunately, sometimes they didn’t, and people lost their businesses, their retirements, and sometimes their lives. So, when Henry Jansen, who was caddying a round of golf for DeBeer, pulled a gun and killed him, the reason seemed obvious.

It wasn’t. Jansen had never been a DeBeer client.

Four days later, Jansen was identified as the shooter. But before the police could locate and arrest him, he was found dead in an alley near downtown Denver. At that point, suspicion pivoted to DeBeer’s many disgruntled clients. One of them must have hired Jansen as their instrument of retaliation, then killed him to cover their involvement.

This theory, too, led nowhere as the investigation stalled after three months.

Frustrated by the apparent lack of progress on the case, Lauren Beckwith, Jansen’s cousin, hired Private Investigator Rebecca Marte to continue the hunt. And while Rebecca apparently retrod much of the same ground as the police detectives, she must have done something different, because before she knew it, she was fighting for her life in a diabolical trap set by Jansen’s killer.

 

About the Author

 

 If you’re interested in what I’m like in something more detailed than what will fit in this space, I’d say, buy any of my books. That overly analytic guy (read geek) is me. OK, I’ve never saved the day like the heroes in my books, but we think alike. I’m interested in technology and psychology (my formal background) and enjoy writing about where they meet, now and in the future. In addition to pounding the keyboard, I like to tinker with home automation and I’m an avid hiker. When I’m not on the trails, you’ll find me at home with my wife and our dog in Aurora, CO. For a closer look at my writing life, book reviews, and progress on my upcoming novels, please join me at brucemperrin.com.

 

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