Contemporary Cozy Mystery

It's been several months since Rory left her old life behind to move to her family's magical library in the coastal town of Ivory Beach. When her best friend from back home gets in touch, she can't wait to introduce her to her new family - even if she can't share the truth of the magical world with an outsider. When a vampire shows up dead near her home while she's gone, however, Rory finds herself staring down a more unwelcome part of her history - the group of sinister vampires who've made it their goal to get their hands on Rory's late father's journal.

Just as Ivy’s brother Billy is about to get engaged to his beloved, a tragedy interrupts the happy moment. The body of longtime Santa Sofia resident Marisol Ruiz washes up on the beach - and it’s even more heartbreaking since Marisol’s father also recently died. But Marisol was a strong competitive swimmer. It seems unlikely there’s even a grain of truth to the theory that she accidentally drowned.

When Aunt Candace is nominated for a literary award, Rory and her family are thrilled that the library is chosen to host the ceremony. But the night ends in disaster when the organiser of the event turns up dead. Needless to say, since the group of suspects all write about murders for a living, finding the culprit will be tricky. With her best friend also dealing with her newfound vampire nature and her dad's secrets on the brink of coming to the surface, Rory has her work cut out. Can she find the culprit among the guests before another victim is claimed?

Reluctant psychic Katherine Crystal, dubbed "Crystal Ball Kate", is thrust into the national spotlight when she accurately predicts the death of a movie actor's young son in a private plane crash. Besieged by requests to use her powers to help others, she realizes why her parents had warned her never to let anyone know of her visions. Atlanta police detective Jack Hale harbors a deep-seated distrust of psychics and ignores Katherine's warnings. Jack is forced to partner with Kate, who uses her eerie sensitivity to evil to help him catch a serial killer in Sydney, Australia.

Once again, it's Harriet's job to kick some butt in Boca Raton. Someone is murdering clergy members in Florida's ritzy resort haven - starting with the minister at the gay wedding of private detective Harriet Horowitz's best friends. Suspicion focuses on the drag queens of the Holy Rollers Motorcycle Club and Gospel Choir, who provided the wedding's musical entertainment. Harriet - always defending the underdog - is hired to clear the choir's name.

It's the new year in Ivory Beach, and Rory is nursing a broken heart after the Reaper's abrupt departure from town. A distraction comes in the form of a batch of new tourists visiting the library, but when a holidaying stranger returns a rare book to her family and is then found dead, Rory finds herself in hot water again.

Kate is hired to find a rare cat, helps solve the mystery of Trent Wells, helps a friend find their missing son, and Rhys takes her on a road trip. If anything can go wrong it will. But Kate just rolls with it.

Lucie Rizzo’s life is...complicated. She’s worked hard to grow a legit business and leave behind the mob princess reputation. Now her mobster father is on parole, making things awkward at home - especially with her detective boyfriend. And thanks to an inescapable penchant for trouble, Lucie keeps stumbling into the wrong crime at the wrong time. But what could go wrong at a dog show? It’s the perfect venue for Lucie to score visibility for her brand - and some quality time with sexy Irish cop, Tim O’Brien.

It’s official. Margaret Anne Martin’s perfect daughter Savannah has tied the knot with her unsuitable boyfriend Rafe Collier, and they’re off on their honeymoon to sunny Florida. However, the happy couple barely has time to enjoy a night of nuptial bliss before they find themselves face to face with the dead body of their hostess, Frenetta Wallin, the next morning. And as soon as the local sheriff’s deputy finds out about Rafe’s criminal record, Savannah’s new husband becomes suspect Numero Uno in what might not have been a natural death.

The best thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. At the same time, sometimes the worst thing about the holiday season is spending time with family. The stories in this collection touch on that and more as Mandy Nichols, Jeff Resnick, and Judi Straub struggle through what's supposed to be the joyous season. One family contemplates murder; another wants to end what they see as a bad relationship, while another can only see their loved one for what she can do for them. Sound familiar? Happy Holidays? puts the Christmas fun into dysfunction!

Mary Gardner is a successful career-oriented woman with a passion for work and books. She is part of the Monday Mystery Society at Acorns, the local bookstore in Oakville. Her life is perfect, in her opinion, till she meets Stefan. Things start going downhill as he infiltrates her work, her life and her heart.

Welcome to the Lost Souls ParaAgency, where agents work together to ensure the safety of humans and to prevent exposure of the paranormal community. Sidney Cross is serving out his probation for some blood-sucking crimes committed in the early 1900s. All he has to do is monitor an elementary school teacher who refuses to acknowledge her witch ancestry and make sure she stays that way. With a charmed amulet that allows him to roam free during the day, and a witch who has zero interest in magic, this humdrum assignment should be a piece of cake. What could possibly go wrong?