books by M. E. Kemp, Dorothy Kliewer, Rosemary Miner, Nancy Packer

BOOKS by M. E. KEMP

DEATH OF A DUTCH UNCLE-Who poisoned LAURENS DE NOYES with a deadly dose of brandy so that the drunken Dutchman dropped dead on Boston Common. Widowed businesswoman Hetty Henry teams up with young Boston minister Increase "Creasy" Cotton to investigate Colonial Albany for suspects. Could it be the wife who keeps her own name and her cool at news of her husband's death? Could it be his father-in-law who detested his philandering son-in-law? Could it possibly be one of his jilted lovers, stolen mistresses or their husbands? Or could it be blackmail? De Noyes was not above a little extortion. Hetty and Creasy undergo Indian attack, kidnapping and Piracy on the High Hudson before they uncork the criminal with a doctored dram of their own.

DEATH OF A BAWDY BELLE-Salem, Massachusetts, 1692: Arabella Edwards, a mysterious beauty, is found hanging from the Salem gallows, yet the courts had nothing to do with her death. It is up to Hetty Henry, a wealthy widow past 25 years of age, to help with the inquiries. The first thing Hetty notices is an expensive lacy shift hidden beneath the plain clothes of the victim. The second thing she notices is what should be there but isn't: a hood to cover her hair, a travel cloak, a chain of household keys....

BOOKS by DOROTHY KLIEWER:

THERE. . .IN THE SWAMP!-Deedra Masefield isn't happy with the assignment her editor at the Daily spokesman newspaper, Clete Bailey, has given her. The assignment-go to Rufus, California-to cover the mysterious disappearance and murder of several women near Percifal Swamp. Deedra had been to Rufus before, two years ago when two women suddenly disappeared. back then, no bodies were found and no killer identified, but now it has started all over again. . When her cover is blown, Deedra is attacked and pushed into the stinking, sucking depths of the smelly swamp. What she finds there as she fights to survive may be the key to finding the killer. There . . . In the Swamp is a nifty mystery with a cast of fascinating characters and a heroine who is tough but soft hearted and a heck of an investigative reporter. Available through Worldwide Mystery

THE AWFUL ABBEY-A haunted Abbey and a monsterous killer who is really a monster. Available through Worldwide Mystery.

THE MIDNIGHT TREE-When Rufus county sheriff Aaron Blaine is found murdered in plainclothes in front of a courthouse outside of his jurisdiction .Deedra Masefield tackles the most heart breaking story of her life . Not only was he the man she wanted to marry , but he was a man with secrets worth killing for! Available through Worldwide Mystery.

IN DEAD MAN'S ALLEY-Deedra Masefield, a tough reporter with a romantic heart and a knack for finding trouble along with the story, is asked by the local sheriff to help in the investigation of a murder. The killing took place at North Ledge, a ghost town, but a ghost town with a new life. Important fossil remains have been discovered and the old town is now the site of a busy archaeological dig. The team of scientists, artists, and writers managing the dig are suddenly the target of a clever murderer. Is the killer's motivation personal or does it have something to do with the scientists' discovery? Deedra must rely on her reporter's instincts and survival skills as she stalks the killer through the rugged terrain.

ECHOES IN THE RAFTERS-Darcy Nichols is a writer and resident of an apartment complex that also leases commercial space. The duality of the residents of the complex made for in interesting mix of people and even a murder mystery in the recent past. Darcy, fellow writer Nigel Howard and Mindy Ryder, a popular psychic are the only tenants remaining who make their homes in the complex and have become close from the murder ordeal. Then Darcy accepts as an events manager for an old gothic style church and is pleased with her new job but something about the building starts to bother her. There is a rasping sound of echoes in the building and then things start to get misplaced. Darcy shrugs it off until the day she finds a dead body stuffed between the chairs in a reception area. Now the new job becomes a serious duel between Darcy and a murderer who is just getting started.

THE S.O.S. MAN-Deedra Masefield is grieving the death of Sheriff Aaron Blaine, a man she loved and hoped to have a future with. She is also still suffering trauma from the ordeal of the investigation into a murderous pedophile that almost took her life as well when she receives an odd email. It says: I am in need of another Teddy Bear. There was no signature and the email’s sender was not known to her, but she knew it had to be from Sam Smith. Sam was a State Police investigator who had come to her rescue and brought her a Teddy Bear when she was recovering in the hospital. Sam must be in trouble. No one had seen him since he went undercover to investigate a crime ring that specialized in identity theft. Sam’s commander asks Deedra to work the case as a reporter and travel to the rural town where Sam tracked the criminals. He fears that Sam may have been killed. Deedra refuses to believe Sam is dead. She is determined to find Sam and help him bring the gang to justice. Once again Deedra finds herself in extreme jeopardy but her gutsy determination won’t let her give up until she finds Sam alive.

MINDY'S MALL-Darcy Nichols is just back from a book tour for her latest mystery when her favorite psychic and friend, Mindy Ryder announces her latest venture. Mindy has sold Echo Hall, the historic building that was the recent scene of multiple murders, and invested the profits in a Mini Mall under construction. Of course, Darcy will work at the new bookstore in the mall and help Mindy oversee the new tenants in return for her apartment’s rent. The new mall is completed and becomes very popular–filled with tenants and a local hangout for the kids. All is well until a pushy insurance salesman is found murdered in his office. Darcy is back in the murder solving business and the killer is watching her progress as bodies begin to pile up.

THERE IN THE SWAMP, THE AWFUL ABBEY, THE MIDNIGHT TREE, and IN DEAD MAN'S ALLEY are also WorldWide Mystery titles.

BOOKS by MIKE LANGAN

THE HANK FISHER MYSTERY SERIES:

READY FOR THE DEFENSE

Hank Fisher is not your typical first-year criminal defense lawyer. He didn’t get an offer from one of the white collar law firms with the big budgets and perks in Washington, D.C. Instead, he joined the law office of John P. MacPherson. It turned out to be a perfect partnership.

John MacPherson is a larger than life lawyer known affectionately as Big Mac. Mac is a mentor—a tough but fair man who is willing to tolerate Hank’s affinity for investigation. While Mac prefers to pull the twelfth juror from the brink of conviction the old-fashioned way, through an artful cross-examination and an impassioned closing argument, Hank, in Mac’s judgement, acts more like Sherlock Holmes than Oliver Wendell Holmes in the courtroom. Hank wants to exonerate his clients by catching the real bad guys. His unconventional victories keep him on Mac’s team even if Mac doesn’t always approve.

Their new case, the defense of a United States senator who may be involved in an un-lawful campaign contribution that has caught the attention of the FBI will call on both their talents to rescue their client, but a hit-and-run attack rips their law firm apart, putting one person in a hearse and another in a coma.

It is up to Hank to find the killer while defending the senator in a criminal investigation that is spiraling out of control.

READY FOR THE PEOPLE

Still reeling from his last case and the carnage it caused for him personally—his law practice and his status as a lawyer in jeopardy—Hank Fisher makes a choice. He’ll investigate white collar crimes, using his law background to navigate the cases. Great idea—he’s always liked the investigation of the case more than the prosecution which is why his old law partner Mac gave him the nickname, Sherlock.

His new venture includes teaming with a former cop—Roger Lynch—who left the force due to his sometimes overly aggressive style of policing. Unfortunately, due to Hank’s damaged reputation they have been limited to serving warrants and subpoenas on members of the community who usually don’t appreciate that aspect of the legal system. Not only does the job involve personal danger—it doesn’t pay the bills.

That’s why Hank finds himself in line at a FAST Center applying for a business loan to prevent total financial disaster for his team. One thing leads to another and Hank is approached by an old nemesis, an assistant U.S. attorney who has a proposition that Hank literally can’t refuse. His mission is to go undercover to investigate a suspected terrorist and expose his network of militants. Of course, if things go sideways, they will disavow any connection to Hank and his team.

GRAVE INJURIES-A LEGAL MYSTERY

Nicky Rigopoulos is a slick personal injury lawyer who sells out his clients to finance his campaign for state court judge in Syracuse, N.Y. When his law partner is murdered, Nicky finds himself the target of a police investigation. To make matters worse, his lover won't confirm his alibi, and his estranged wife would rather see him in jail. As he and his iron-woman defense lawyer scramble to muster a legal defense, the murderer strikes again. Nicky knows that, if he is to stay out of prison, he must catch the killer before being caught by the police.

So he goes undercover during the middle of his campaign. To Nicky, "undercover" means over the top. He dresses like a Hell's Angel before riding into a trailer park to face a disgruntled client. He dresses like a suburban cowboy before moseying into the Turning Stone Casino, hot on the trail of a down-on-his-luck kemo sabe. And he dresses like a psychotic football fan before leading police on a high-speed foot chase through the Carrier Dome. Along the way, he meets a milk-chugging frat boy, an accountant-by-day bookie, and an economist-turned-stripper-turned-bartender. The truth they help Nicky uncover surprises even the Syracuse police detective bent on bringing him to justice.

GRAVE INJURIES is a fast-paced legal mystery that assembles a cast of colorful characters, drops them into the drama of local politics, and adds plenty of humor.