When the mutilated remains of a young woman are found in an Appalachian Mountain cave, newly sworn-in deputy sheriff Brynn Callahan is forced to track down a killer driven by twisted motives . . . Not long after donning the uniform of the McCreary County Sheriff’s department in Bone Gap, Tennessee, ex-Marine Brynn Callahan faces her first official homicide. On a cold February morning, a lone cross-country skier stumbles across the mutilated body of a young woman. Sent to investigate, Brynn is shocked when she recognizes the victim as a fellow Traveller, Maura Keene. Maura held a solid standing both within the Travellers’ insular community and among the settled townspeople—a fact that makes her murder all the more disturbing to Brynn, who also straddles the two worlds. After her trained K-9, Wilco, digs up human bones, and then a scrap of paper scrawled with arcane Latin phrases is uncovered, Brynn finds evidence leading her to question those closest to her—and closing the case becomes a deeply personal matter. While trying to suppress local superstitions and prejudices, Brynn discovers that Maura was keeping a dangerous secret. And as the bones Wilco found are analyzed by forensics, Brynn harbors the troubling suspicion that she knows who they belong to. Still struggling with PTSD, Brynn must put her career on the line and her life at risk to find justice for a woman not unlike herself—haunted by her past, and caught in a vicious cycle she may never escape . . .
“A striking mystery whose twists and turns are complemented by raw descriptions of prejudice, physical pain, and the horrors of addiction.” —Kirkus
A wedding and a murder…Star football player and NFL hopeful, Michael “Bumper” Hackett is getting married. Word’s going around that it’s a shotgun wedding, and there just might be some truth to it, seeing that the bride-to-be is showing a baby bump. But before the ceremony can even get started, the poor groom collapses from what appears to be an asthma attack. Unfortunately, things aren’t always what they seem.
Romaine knew it was a bad idea to have a wedding at the funeral home, but newly elected justice of the peace and sole proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home & Crematorium, her Auntie Zanne, thought it was a perfect way to advertise her business. Instead, it’s another murder that’s been dropped on her doorstep. That can’t be good for business!
Add to that, Romaine’s beau from up north shows up out of the blue and has her hoping for her chance at happily ever after and escaping her tiny hometown of Roble. First, though, a murder has to be solved and Romaine pairs up with her Auntie Zanne (against the direct order of Romaine’s first cousin, Sheriff Pogue Folsom), and aims to catch the killer before the Friday Night Lights go on.
Small-town life in Hazel Rock becomes a Texas-size crime scene when murder takes a page from Charli Rae Warren’s book club’s latest mystery . . . Charli takes great pride in running one of the few independent, family-owned bookstores in small-town Texas. She vets everything carefully, with an eye to the eclectic tastes of the locals. That includes the Book Barn’s weekly book club selection. This time out it’s a mystery whose characters bear a striking resemblance to local citizens, including Charli’s friend Sugar . . . who’s the prime suspect when her real-life nemesis is found dead in a hotel’s water tank. With help from her pet armadillo Princess, Charli campaigns to clear Sugar’s sweet name—literally—when the up-for-election mayor becomes a killer’s next target. Murder and politics make scandalous bedfellows as Charli discovers that fiction may be fatal, but reality could be just as deadly . . .
“A well written, fast-paced cozy mystery that has well developed and likable characters with good humor and a bit of romance.” —Fresh Fiction on Perilous Poetry
“An electrifying tale.”—Fresh Fiction on A Reference to Murder
Claire Weatherly loves her charming adopted hometown but is shocked when the murder of a former town dignitary proves that evil can hide in plain sight in this all new Amish mystery in the national bestselling series.
Jakob and Claire have been enjoying spending more time together in lovely Heavenly, PA. With Claire’s help, the detective is making slow progress reconnecting with members of his Amish family who shunned him when he left to pursue a career in law enforcement. Jakob’s mentor, Russ Granger, the long retired police chief who inspired him to become a cop is back in town. Claire’s always wanted to meet the man who changed the course of Jakob’s life. But not long after he arrives in Heavenly, Russ is murdered.
Jakob is shocked and can only imagine that his old friend must have been killed by someone outside of the Amish community. Claire and Jakob soon find that things are not as they seem and Jakob’s old boss may have stumbled into something sinister before he was killed. The answers they uncover are closer to home and more shocking than they ever expected.
A Christmas crime shocks the merchants of a quaint shopping district in this latest installment of The New York Times bestselling Victoria Square series.
It’s Christmastime, but not everyone is jolly–especially not Vonne Barnett. Her dead body has been found in Victoria Square. Katie Bonner, the manager of Artisan’s Alley, happens to be at the tea shop Vonne’s mother, Francine, owns when the news is delivered.
Vonne left a trail of men behind her so the suspects are many–but the clues are few. A broken teacup leads Katie to one of the suspects, but before she can investigate, she’s attacked. Katie may be closing in on a murderer, but time is ticking because the murderer is definitely closing in on her.
The Tarzana Hookers crochet club is ready for its close-up! But Molly Pink may be getting too close to a case that will land her on the cutting-room floor.
Molly Pink’s excitement level is off the hook: The Craftee Channel’s new cable talk show “Creating with Crochet” has scheduled an upcoming taping at the bookstore. While she’s there, TV host Rory Graham is to work with the Tarzana Hookers on a Make and Take bracelet project to draw bookstore customers to the yarn section. It’s a win-win…or so it “seams.”
The situation gets a bit knotted when channel producer Michael Kostner confides to Molly his concern that Rory may have oversold her ability as a crocheter. When the producer’s worst fears are realized, it’s up to Molly to make sure Rory comes through.
Guiding Rory through crocheting-for-beginners will have to wait, though, as Molly suddenly has to untangle the mysterious death of a new Tarzana Hookers member. Marianne Freeman and her live-in companion, Connie Richards, haven’t exactly been gabby since they joined the Hookers, but Connie’s voice is silenced permanently when she is electrocuted while walking on a wet lawn—electrified by an old radio plugged into a faulty extension cord. The fingers point at Marianne, but Molly is fast on the case to protect one of her own. Was Marianne the killer…or the intended target? Why does her younger brother want to keep her from talking to the cops? And why is this whole case starting to remind Molly Pink of an old TV movie?
In the first in an engaging new mystery series from USA Today bestselling author Sarah Fox, the owner of a charming literary pub finds her fresh start on the rocks thanks to a case of murder. Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs. Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor—Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . . Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call
He’s a rock star with a secret; she’s a pop princess with a painful past, can their forbidden romance survive, or will their lies destroy them both? I’ve earned my bad reputation.
A few years ago, I was New York City’s hottest classical music prodigy. But I wanted something else, something more. So I chased my real dream, and now… I’m rock royalty. Dax Hughes, lead guitarist of Nothing but Trouble. But to my family and former Juilliard classmates, I’m an outcast. A misfit. A rebel. They’re not entirely wrong. I don’t give a damn what other people think, and I’m all for breaking the rules… except when it comes to our new opening act, Verity Moore. Rock gods don’t tour with pop princesses.
It’s not personal. Actually, under that fallen diva reputation, Verity’s incredibly talented. And her fiery redheaded personality is… intriguing. But I’m convinced the skeletons in Verity’s closet are as scandalous as my own, and when we’re not sparring, she has a way of drawing out all those secrets I’m determined to keep hidden.
Yeah. Verity Moore is definitely off-limits . . . But since when do I give a damn about the rules?
Coming Soon:
Author of the forthcoming THE KEY TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER Tif Marcelo’s SUNSET IN MANILA BAY, pitched as Next Year in Havana meets Eat Pray Love, wherein a woman travels to the Philippines to connect with the family she’s never known, rediscovers her identity, and takes another chance at love, told from mother and daughter’s point of view, to Kate Dresser at Gallery, for publication in spring 2020, by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds (world).
Cofounder of the fastest growing global women’s wellness network focused on cannabis and CBD Aliza Sherman and osteopathic physician Dr. Junella Chin’s CANNABIS AND CBD FOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS, a safe, comprehensive, and easy-to-use illustrated guide to using cannabis and CBD to ease chronic and acute health conditions such as stress, anxiety, pain, inflammation, and more, to Julie Bennett at Ten Speed Press, by Jessica Faust at BookEnds (world).
Elle Ire’s THREADBARE, a passionate romance between a mercenary and her powerful empath handler, which asks the question: does a human being, altered with AI techology, still retain her human rights?, to Lynn West at Dreamspinner Press, in a nice deal, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world English).
Liz Lincoln’s HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE, the third book in the Milwaukee Dragons Football series, in which former lovers reunite, to Junessa Viloria at Loveswept, for publication in spring 2019, by Jessica Alvarez at BookEnds (world).
Rochelle Weinstein’s THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS, both an unconventional love story set in the Florida Keys, and the journey of one woman coming to terms with her past in order to take control of her future, to Alicia Clancy at Lake Union Publishing, by Kim Lionetti at BookEnds.
Kate McMurray’s HERE COMES THE FLOOD, the first in the three-book m/m Elite Athletes series set at the Summer Olympics that features a diver who wants to stay out of the limelight and the disgraced swimmer who wants to prove he’s more than just another comeback kid, to Lynn West at Dreamspinner Press, in a three-book deal, for publication in spring 2020, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds (world).
#BookEndsGrows
We’re proud to welcome Dr. John Johnson to the BookEnds mystery/suspense/thriller ranks! We can’t wait to share this work.
We’ve got a ton of really exciting books publishing this month from the adult side of Team BookEnds. Take a look and find your next read!
Monthly Spotlight:
Fractured Truth by Susan Furlong (12/18) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Not long after donning the uniform of the McCreary County Sheriff’s department in Bone Gap, Tennessee, ex-Marine Brynn Callahan faces her first official homicide. On a cold February morning, a lone cross-country skier stumbles across the mutilated body of a young woman. Sent to investigate, Brynn is shocked when she recognizes the victim as a fellow Traveller, Maura Keene.
Maura held a solid standing both within the Travellers’ insular community and among the settled townspeople—a fact that makes her murder all the more disturbing to Brynn, who also straddles the two worlds. After her trained K-9, Wilco, digs up human bones, and then a scrap of paper scrawled with arcane Latin phrases is uncovered, Brynn finds evidence leading her to question those closest to her—and closing the case becomes a deeply personal matter.
While trying to suppress local superstitions and prejudices, Brynn discovers that Maura was keeping a dangerous secret. And as the bones Wilco found are analyzed by forensics, Brynn harbors the troubling suspicion that she knows who they belong to. Still struggling with PTSD, Brynn must put her career on the line and her life at risk to find justice for a woman not unlike herself—haunted by her past, and caught in a vicious cycle she may never escape . . .
“A striking mystery whose twists and turns are complemented by raw descriptions of prejudice, physical pain, and the horrors of addiction.” —Kirkus
Mystery
Love, Hopes & Marriage Tropes by Abby L. Vandiver (12/4) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Romaine knew it was a bad idea to have a wedding at the funeral home, but newly elected justice of the peace and sole proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home & Crematorium, her Auntie Zanne, thought it was a perfect way to advertise her business. Instead, it’s another murder that’s been dropped on her doorstep. That can’t be good for business!
Add to that, Romaine’s beau from up north shows up out of the blue and has her hoping for her chance at happily ever after and escaping her tiny hometown of Roble. First, though, a murder has to be solved and Romaine pairs up with her Auntie Zanne (against the direct order of Romaine’s first cousin, Sheriff Pogue Folsom), and aims to catch the killer before the Friday Night Lights go on.
Killer Classics by Kym Roberts (12/4) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Charli takes great pride in running one of the few independent, family-owned bookstores in
small-town Texas. She vets everything carefully, with an eye to the eclectic tastes of the locals. That includes the Book Barn’s weekly book club selection. This time out it’s a mystery whose characters bear a striking resemblance to local citizens, including Charli’s friend Sugar . . . who’s the prime suspect when her real-life nemesis is found dead in a hotel’s water tank.
With help from her pet armadillo Princess, Charli campaigns to clear Sugar’s sweet name—literally—when the up-for-election mayor becomes a killer’s next target. Murder and politics make scandalous bedfellows as Charli discovers that fiction may be fatal, but reality could be just as deadly . . .
“A well written, fast-paced cozy mystery that has well developed and likable characters with good humor and a bit of romance.” —Fresh Fiction on Perilous Poetry
“An electrifying tale.”—Fresh Fiction on A Reference to Murder
Just Plain Murder by Laura Bradford (12/4) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Jakob and Claire have been enjoying spending more time together in lovely Heavenly, PA. With Claire’s help, the detective is making slow progress reconnecting with members of his Amish family who shunned him when he left to pursue a career in law enforcement. Jakob’s mentor, Russ Granger, the long retired police chief who inspired him to become a cop is back in town. Claire’s always wanted to meet the man who changed the course of Jakob’s life. But not long after he arrives in Heavenly, Russ is murdered.
Jakob is shocked and can only imagine that his old friend must have been killed by someone outside of the Amish community. Claire and Jakob soon find that things are not as they seem and Jakob’s old boss may have stumbled into something sinister before he was killed. The answers they uncover are closer to home and more shocking than they ever expected.
Yule Be Dead by Lorraine Bartlett with Gayle Leeson (12/4) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A Christmas crime shocks the merchants of a quaint shopping district in this latest installment of The New York Times bestselling Victoria Square series.
It’s Christmastime, but not everyone is jolly–especially not Vonne Barnett. Her dead body has been found in Victoria Square. Katie Bonner, the manager of Artisan’s Alley, happens to be at the tea shop Vonne’s mother, Francine, owns when the news is delivered.
Vonne left a trail of men behind her so the suspects are many–but the clues are few. A broken teacup leads Katie to one of the suspects, but before she can investigate, she’s attacked. Katie may be closing in on a murderer, but time is ticking because the murderer is definitely closing in on her.
Hooks Can Be Deceiving by Betty Hechtman (12/11) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Molly Pink’s excitement level is off the hook: The Craftee Channel’s new cable talk show “Creating with Crochet” has scheduled an upcoming taping at the bookstore. While she’s there, TV host Rory Graham is to work with the Tarzana Hookers on a Make and Take bracelet project to draw bookstore customers to the yarn section. It’s a win-win…or so it “seams.”
The situation gets a bit knotted when channel producer Michael Kostner confides to Molly his concern that Rory may have oversold her ability as a crocheter. When the producer’s worst fears are realized, it’s up to Molly to make sure Rory comes through.
Guiding Rory through crocheting-for-beginners will have to wait, though, as Molly suddenly has to untangle the mysterious death of a new Tarzana Hookers member. Marianne Freeman and her live-in companion, Connie Richards, haven’t exactly been gabby since they joined the Hookers, but Connie’s voice is silenced permanently when she is electrocuted while walking on a wet lawn—electrified by an old radio plugged into a faulty extension cord. The fingers point at Marianne, but Molly is fast on the case to protect one of her own. Was Marianne the killer…or the intended target? Why does her younger brother want to keep her from talking to the cops? And why is this whole case starting to remind Molly Pink of an old TV movie?
Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox (12/18) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Booklover Sadie Coleman knows that in life, as in fiction, the right setting can make a world of difference. The small town of Shady Creek, Vermont, seems like the perfect place to start over after losing her Boston job to a merger and her relationship to her ex’s gambling addiction. She’s bought and redecorated the old grist mill pub, transforming the Inkwell into a cozy spot where tourists and regulars alike can enjoy a pint or a literary-themed cocktail, or join one of several book clubs.
Little by little, Sadie is adjusting to the rhythms of her new home. Fall in Shady Creek is bookmarked by the much-anticipated Autumn Festival, complete with a pumpkin catapult competition and pie bake-off. Unfortunately, the season also brings an unwelcome visitor—Sadie’s ex, Eric, who’s angling for a second chance . . .
Before Sadie can tell Eric to leave, he’s found dead near the Inkwell. When the local antique shop catches fire on the same night, it’s clear the town is harboring at least one unsavory character. Now, with her Aunt Gilda, her friend Shontelle, and the pub’s patrons all in the mix, Sadie must uncover the truth . . . before a killer declares last call
Romance
Rock Rebel by Tara Leigh (12/11) Amazon | Barnes & Noble
A few years ago, I was New York City’s hottest classical music prodigy. But I wanted something else, something more. So I chased my real dream, and now… I’m rock royalty. Dax Hughes, lead guitarist of Nothing but Trouble. But to my family and former Juilliard classmates, I’m an outcast. A misfit. A rebel. They’re not entirely wrong. I don’t give a damn what other people think, and I’m all for breaking the rules… except when it comes to our new opening act, Verity Moore. Rock gods don’t tour with pop princesses.
It’s not personal. Actually, under that fallen diva reputation, Verity’s incredibly talented. And her fiery redheaded personality is… intriguing. But I’m convinced the skeletons in Verity’s closet are as scandalous as my own, and when we’re not sparring, she has a way of drawing out all those secrets I’m determined to keep hidden.
Yeah. Verity Moore is definitely off-limits . . .
But since when do I give a damn about the rules?
Coming Soon:
Author of the forthcoming THE KEY TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER Tif Marcelo’s SUNSET IN MANILA BAY, pitched as Next Year in Havana meets Eat Pray Love, wherein a woman travels to the Philippines to connect with the family she’s never known, rediscovers her identity, and takes another chance at love, told from mother and daughter’s point of view, to Kate Dresser at Gallery, for publication in spring 2020, by Rachel Brooks at BookEnds (world).
Elle Ire’s THREADBARE, a passionate romance between a mercenary and her powerful empath handler, which asks the question: does a human being, altered with AI techology, still retain her human rights?, to Lynn West at Dreamspinner Press, in a nice deal, by Naomi Davis at BookEnds (world English).
Kate McMurray’s HERE COMES THE FLOOD, the first in the three-book m/m Elite Athletes series set at the Summer Olympics that features a diver who wants to stay out of the limelight and the disgraced swimmer who wants to prove he’s more than just another comeback kid, to Lynn West at Dreamspinner Press, in a three-book deal, for publication in spring 2020, by Moe Ferrara at BookEnds (world).
#BookEndsGrows
We’re proud to welcome Dr. John Johnson to the BookEnds mystery/suspense/thriller ranks! We can’t wait to share this work.
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