Dark Mystery

Three separate yet strangely connected novellas kick off Crystal Lake’s Dark Tide series with stories of Mystery and Suspense.

When a boarding school master at an exclusive boys' school is shot dead, it is deemed accidental. A lazy and usually drunk detective is sent to write up the report. Cardilini unexpectedly does not cooperate, as he becomes riled by the privileged arrogance of those at the school. He used to have instincts. Perhaps he should follow them now...With no real evidence he declares the shooting a murder and puts himself on a collision course with the powerful and elite of Perth. As he peels back layers, the school's dark secrets begin to emerge.

The auction of Shady Pines, a creepy, reportedly haunted old motel on the outskirts of town, causes an influx of real estate investors from near and far — some nice, some nasty, and all with plans for the property. As the tempers begin to flare, Lilly and her good friend, Bree Milford who owns the local B&B, visit Shady Pines to check out the potential new competition. But instead of answers, they discover the lifeless body of one of the most vocal (and irritating) investors.

Ever since Abigail moved to the cozy seaside town of Wallace Point, intrigue continues to unfold. She already solved one murder, only to have another spring up at a nearby motel, thought to be the work of the infamous Wallace Point Ripper. To further complicate things, James Wilson, a hot-headed PI, arrives in town. Abigail is convinced that James is up to something. The whole town, however, welcomes Sheriff Wilson’s prodigal son with a warm embrace, leaving it up to Abigail to uncover his secrets herself.

Poet Kitty Clark has waited her entire life to see a total eclipse of the sun. News of an impending eclipse thrills her until she learns it will be visible only from Nantucket, where her ex-lover Joe Green recently moved with his new wife. Unable to resist the astronomical lure, she flies from Boston and makes her way to an isolated lighthouse, hoping to avoid Joe. The eclipse itself is overwhelming. When the sun returns a few minutes later, Kitty is standing over the bloodied body of Mrs. Joe Green, claiming "the moon did it."

In the follow-up to One-Shot Harry, fearless crime photographer and occasional private eye Harry Ingram finds himself in the LAPD’s crosshairs after capturing damning evidence of police brutality. An atmospheric dive into a city on the brink that’s brimming with remarkable historical detail, Ash Dark as Night is perfect for fans of Walter Mosley and James Ellroy. Los Angeles, August 1965. Anger and pent-up frustrations boil over in the Watts neighborhood after a traffic stop of two Black motorists.

Jonathan Crowley is having a problem with dead men. They just keep getting back on their feet. From the ghost dancers at a strange burial site to the corpse of a man he literally just killed, the dead refuse to lay down and die, and now it's up to Crowley and his traveling companion Lucas Slate to try to figure out why the dead are restless and determined to kill whatever crosses their paths.

An unidentified woman’s body is found in a remote garden in Kent. With the owners not in residence, the only people with legitimate access are the caretaker, Johnny, and landscape gardeners Adam Sarjeant and his employer, Mog. Afraid of her son falling under suspicion, Libby Sarjeant, with her friend Fran, are determined to find the murderer, with or without the assistance of the police in the person of Chief Detective Inspector Ian Connell.

Brenda Strange is back and is spooked by a fishy apparition that leaves wet footprints behind. During her most current murder investigation, she's got the living and the dead wanting a piece of the action.

In Fever in the Dark, Fiona and Annie return home from their one-year anniversary trip to discover that their poignant proposal video has been posted on YouTube and has garnered hundreds of thousands of hits. Their fame comes just on the heels of the Supreme Court's decision to legalize gay marriage across the country. As some of the attention turns vicious, Fiona pulls in an old friend, private investigator Jane Lawless, to help separate the harmless threats from the potentially harmful. Then a murder occurs, and Annie and Fiona are both suspects.

A perfectly plotted crime is foiled by a runaway bank clerk as Inspector Littlejohn navigates impersonation, forgery, embezzlement...and a murder. It was meant to be a fool-proof scheme. The victim was a recluse, cut off from the world after the death of his wife. Nobody would think it strange when they didn't see him. Nobody would make inquiries. Yet, even the most meticulous of criminals can be caught out, especially if they don't leave room for human error.

Brett Buchanan never imagined herself returning to Crestwood, Washington, where her sister was murdered 20 years ago. But when she's offered a detective position with the local police department, she decides to take the job. Between figuring out how to fit in as the squad's first female detective and caring for her grandmother who is showing signs of dementia, Brett doesn't have much time to think about her sister's cold case.

Lena is starting to feel like having it all may actually be possible! She and suspense novelist Camilla Graham are busily plotting their next novel and she's got a brand-new diamond ring on her finger thanks to her fiance, Sam West. The only blot on her Blue Lake life is a strange new corporation that has come to town called Plastisource. They seem to be intent on gobbling up prime real estate and changing the landscape of Lena's lovely adopted home. When she and Sam get a call from their good friend (and Blue Lake detective) Doug saying that his girlfriend - and Lena's pal Belinda - isn't answering her phone and missed a date with him, they all head out to her home.

Nikki's boss gives her the most bizarre assignment of her career. More than 200 solid citizens have reported sightings and contacts with UFO's! Soon she's on the trail with help from the University of Tennessee Space Institute and the Air Force! Roman comes to the aide of an old Army buddy and finds himself with the most baffling case of his career. Did the US Army actually hijack an armored car? Or is his buddy feeding Roman a pack of lies?

Ripped from her world and her Fayte Guardian friends, Jane Shackle finds herself captive to a vengeful queen in a strange, otherworldly realm filled with mythical creatures, dangerous magic, and shocking clues to the secrets in her past. When an old ally comes to her rescue, Jane discovers redemption for her past wrongs may be within reach—until a bittersweet revelation changes everything. Since her life isn’t the only one hanging in the balance, Jane must forge new alliances and fight harder than ever to survive and protect those she loves.

Jane Shackle is a young maid haunted by visions who is tapped to protect Queen Victoria by Fayte Guardians, a shadowy group of castle servants that claim a powerful ally from the fae realm. But is she really hunting a killer, as she’s been told? Or is she merely a pawn in their plot? Jane must use her wits and master her abilities—with help from a peculiar dragonfly—to uncover the truth, save the crown, and ultimately confront an otherworldly enemy driven to destroy them all.

Cocaine. Dan Marlowe is doing his damnedest to stay away from the stuff. It’s already cost him his family and his business, The High Tide Restaurant & Saloon. Now a bartender at the Tide, Dan’s life is slowly stabilizing. That is until a boat with two dead bodies on board is found wrecked on the jetty at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. The hunt for its missing cargo, 200 pounds of cocaine, is on. Dan is forced into the search and realizes that the drug that stole everything short of his life might be the one thing that can give it all back.

As 17-year-old Vivienne Taylor returns to Fairmont Riding Academy for the second semester, she just wants to get past the drama that dominated her first months at the school. Reunited with her beloved horse, Harmony, Vivvie vows to focus on riding, particularly with the announcement that a select group of students will be chosen to compete at a Three Day Event in Kentucky, with access to world-class coaches afterwards. Making the team is exactly what Vivvie needs to get to the next level.

Former Sergeant Ryan DeMarco's life has been spent in defiance - he's defied death, loneliness, and betrayal all while fighting the worst parts of humanity. He's earned a break, and following the devastation of their last case, DeMarco and his girlfriend Jayme want nothing more than to live quietly in each other's company. To forget the horrors they've experienced and work on making each other whole again. But dreams of a peaceful life together are shattered when two bodies are discovered in a smoldering car in the woods, and another is found brutally mutilated nearby.

Cassia Thorne leads a double life. In one she is a respectable young music teacher for the children of the elite. In another, she sells ballads on the streets and spends her evenings locked up in Fleet Prison. When the Bartholomew Fair comes to town, it brings joy to the city but also rumours of children going missing off the streets of London. With the help of a young pickpocket, Teo and her friend Felix, Cassia starts to investigate these disappearances.