New Releases For The Week Of October 31st, 2021–Part 3

“All Her Little Secrets is a brilliantly nuanced but powerhouse exploration of race, the legal system, and the crushing pressure of keeping secrets. Morris brings a vibrant and welcome new voice to the thriller space.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times and international bestselling author  

In this fast-paced thriller, Wanda M. Morris crafts a twisty mystery about a black lawyer who gets caught in a dangerous conspiracy after the sudden death of her boss . . . A debut perfect for fans of Attica Locke, Alyssa Cole, Harlan Coben, and Celeste Ng, with shades of How to Get Away with Murder and John Grisham’s The Firm.

Everyone has something to hide…

Ellice Littlejohn seemingly has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends, and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive, who just happens to be her white boss. But everything changes one cold January morning when Ellice arrives in the executive suite and finds him dead with a gunshot to his head.

And then she walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. She can’t be thrust into the spotlight—again.

But instead of grieving this tragedy, people are gossiping, the police are getting suspicious, and Ellice, the company’s lone black attorney, is promoted to replace her boss. While the opportunity is a dream-come-true, Ellice just can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

When she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. Suddenly, Ellice’s past and present lives collide as she launches into a pulse-pounding race to protect the brother she tried to save years ago and stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined… (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook

Return to the house on Tradd Street for one last time as the bestselling series featuring psychic medium Melanie Trenholm comes to a hauntingly spectacular finale.

After the devastating events of the past few months, the last thing Melanie Trenholm wants is to think about the future.  Why, when her husband, Jack, has asked for a separation—a separation that might have been her fault?  Nevertheless, with twin toddlers, a stepdaughter leaving for college soon, a real estate career to resume and a historic home that is still being restored, Melanie doesn’t have much time to wonder where it all went wrong—but that doesn’t stop her from trying to win her husband back.

Their relationship issues are pushed aside, however, when longtime nemesis, Marc Longo, comes to them with a proposition:  allow their Tradd Street house to be used as the filming location for the movie adaptation of Marc’s bestselling book, and he will help Jack re-establish his stalled writing career. Despite Melanie’s hesitation, Jack jumps at the chance.  But Melanie’s doubts soon prove to be well founded when she uncovers ulterior reasons for Marc wanting to be back in their house—reasons that include a hidden gem so brilliant that legend links it to the most infamous jewel of all, the Hope Diamond.

But Melanie has an unexpected ally in protecting the house and its inhabitants—the ghost of a Civil War era girl warns her of increasing threats to her family. But she’s not the only spirit who is haunting Melanie.  A malevolent ghost seems determined to stop Melanie from investigating the decades-old murder of a friend’s sister, and this spirit will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—even from beyond the grave.

Melanie and Jack must work together to find the answers before evil spirits of past and present destroy everything they love. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Hardcover, Audiobook

When a maple syrup mystery turns into murder, will this psychic sleuth’s luck run dry?

Mitzy Moon can’t wait to cut her own gorgeous Christmas tree. But her forest adventure loses its thrill when the pristine blanket of snow reveals a blood trail. And her heart thuds when the crimson droplets lead to a body, bringing her Yuletide festivities to a deadly end.

When her only employee becomes the prime suspect, Mitzy is forced to take the case. But even though she enrolls her eavesdropping Ghost-ma and a spoiled feline to help unwrap the evidence, each uncovered clue only seems to dig a more messy, murderous hole.

Can Mitzy unstick herself from the tacky case, or is her festive fun about to turn fatal?

Carols and Yule Perils is the sixteenth book in the hilarious Mitzy Moon Mysteries paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s twisty tinsel-clad tale.

Buy Carols and Yule Perils to wrap up the culprit today! (Amazon)

Editions Available Kindle, Paperback

“The setting is old London Town, but the story is Wendall Thomas’s trademark three-ring circus, with the redoubtable Cyd Redondo as ringmaster, high-wire walker, and—of course—animal wrangler. What a joy it is to follow the increasingly bonkers plot knowing that every last madcap thread is guaranteed to come together in the end. Fogged Off is what the world needs right now.” —Catriona McPherson, multi-award winning author of The Last Ditch Motel mysteries

When travel agent Cyd Redondo’s client and Jack the Ripper expert Shep Helnikov is found dead in London, she navigates the cutthroat worlds of research librarians, unemployed actors, rodent smugglers and more to find his killer and bring his body back home . . .

When her client and Jack the Ripper expert Shep Helnikov is found dead in London, travel agent Cyd Redondo is on the hook for thirty thousand dollars to return his body home. So when his university offers to cover the costs if she’ll go in person to collect him—and his Ripper research—she jumps at the chance, even if it means bringing her wily uncle along. But no sooner does Cyd arrive in London than her client’s death by natural causes starts to look most unnatural.

Cyd’s only hope for recovering the body and vamoosing back to Brooklyn is to find the killer herself—but she’s thwarted at every turn by Scotland Yard, Shep’s former girlfriends, a sinister mortuary service, an old nemesis, and her taxidermist uncle himself. And when Shep’s apartment is ransacked and a second Ripper expert is found murdered, Cyd knows she’ll have to solve the crimes fast, before someone books her on a one-way trip to the morgue . . .

“Cyd’s Balenciaga bag deserves to become as legendary as Sherlock Holmes’s deerstalker and magnifying glass.” —James W. Ziskin, Anthony, Barry, and Macavity Award-winning author of the Ellie Stone Mysteries

Praise for the Cyd Redondo Mysteries:

Lost Luggage

2018 Macavity Award nominee for Best First Novel
2018 Lefty Award nominee for Best Debut Mystery

“Thomas makes a rollicking debut with this comic mystery . . . With its sexy overtones, this fun, character-driven novel will appeal to Janet Evanovich fans.” —Library Journal (starred review)

“Ms. Thomas has an absolutely lunatic talent for plot and one of the funniest first-person voices I’ve read in years . . . what kept coming to my mind as I read this were comedy films from the 30s—for me, the golden age of American film humor.” —Timothy Hallinan, Lefty winner and Edgar and Macavity Award-nominated author of the Junior Bender and Poke Rafferty novels

“Laugh-out-loud funny and enchantingly ridiculous . . . highly entertaining . . .” —Jessica Howard, Shelf Awareness

Drowned Under

2020 Anthony Award nominee for Best Paperback Original
2020 Lefty Nominee for Best Humorous Mystery

“Fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum will cotton to Cyd.” —Publishers Weekly

“With her clever mind, tart comebacks, and Balenciaga tote bag, Cyd is a fearsome force. What a heroine for the modern age. Do not miss this!” —Daryl Wood Gerber, Agatha Award-winning national bestselling author of the Cookbook Nook and French Bistro Mysteries

“This novel puts Thomas in a class with Carl Hiassen and Janet Evanovitch.” —Nancy Tingley, Lefty-nominated author of the Jenna Murphy Mysteries

About the Author:

Wendall Thomas teaches in the Graduate Film School at UCLA, lectures internationally on screenwriting, and has worked as a film and television writer. Her first Cyd Redondo mystery, Lost Luggage,garnered Lefty and Macavity nominations for Best Debut, and Drowned Under was nominated for a Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery and an Anthony for Best Paperback Original. Her short fiction appears in LAdies Night, Last Resort, and Murder A-Go-Go’s. (Amazon)

Editions Available: Kindle, Paperback

Genealogy should be a relaxing and interesting hobby for a retired homicide detective. But in Jack Oliva’s case, it may turn out to be fatal…

Retired Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva is curious about his roots. For nearly seventy years, his mother never mentioned his grandfather‘s name, leaving Jack to wonder why she never celebrated her father’s birthday or commemorated the anniversary of his death. Following his mother’s death, Jack discovers an old photograph of the grandfather he never knew and, intrigued by the mystery, he decides to dig into his family’s history.

The search takes him to the tiny town of Tyndall, South Dakota where his grandfather died in 1925. But as Jack begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding his grandfather’s death, he gets a surprise he never anticipated. He also quickly discovers that some old scores are never fully settled and that resurrecting scandals, even those a century old, can sometimes be a very dangerous thing to do.

Praise for Tyndall

“Retired homicide detective Jack Oliva’s heartbreaking investigation of his grandfather’s death… uncovers secrets that even a detective as accustomed to skullduggery as Oliva might prefer not to know…. A superb tale!” …” – Bryan Gruley, Edgar-nominated author of the Starvation Lake and Bleak Harbor mysteries

Previous Works

“… South of the Deuce sizzles like an Arizona summer…as Phoenix homicide cop Sean Richardson hunts down a sadistic killer…. James L. Thane has a masterful hand …” – Owen Laukkanen, author of Deception Cove

“Thane writes like Michael Connelly and his Phoenix is detailed.” – Paul French, CrimeReads

“Crossroads is a deep dive into the kind of deadly conflict that a vast and beautiful landscape can produce. … An engrossing read!”– Gerry Boyle, author of Strawman and the Jack McMorrow mysteries.

“Fatal Blow is a meticulous and engrossing procedural….”- Lou Berney, Edgar Award winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone

“Fatal Blow is one of the best procedurals I’ve read in years. Packed with twists and turns and unexpected revelations …. Thane’s finest yet!” – Christine Carbo, Award-winning author of The Wild Inside (Amazon)

Editions Available: Paperback