Dropped Like a Bad Habit
The bodies keep piling up along Chestnut Street…
When Sister Bernadette hears from the local pharmacist about plans to redevelop and gentrify their small community on Chestnut Street, she rallies her neighbors at The Abbey: Senior Living to help stop it. Chestnut Street is home to local mom-and-pop businesses that The Abbey’s residents frequently access. But when the healthy pharmacist mysteriously drops dead with no discernable reason, Detective AJ Lewis is stumped. Then another, younger, business owner dies with no explanation, and AJ is suspicious and starts to dig.
Sister Bernie, trying to solve small, seemingly nonsensical thefts, is intrigued and positions herself to collaborate with the police for what she hopes will be her second murder investigation. Why did two seemingly healthy men conveniently die? Who’s behind the shadowy Vision Corporation? Each question leads to a dead end or another question. And then there’s an unexpected death at The Abbey. Coincidence or connection?
Murder’s becoming a bad habit Sister Bernie and AJ are determined to break.
More info →A Santa Stabbing
She didn’t realize she’d traded “Naval Aviator” for “amateur sleuth”…
Retired Navy pilot Angel Warren’s new life awaits in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania, where she’s opening Shop ‘Round the World, her travel-inspired gift and novelty shop. A newly empty nester and longtime widow, she’s looking forward to leaving her flying career and its many life-or-death decisions behind and reconnecting with family and friends. Right now, Angel’s biggest challenge is getting the shop ready for its grand opening just weeks before Christmas.
Until she finds a dead body in the shop murdered with one of her specialty Santa figurines. Even worse, Angel’s fingerprints are on the “weapon” and she’s a prime suspect. It doesn’t help that the deceased is an old friend who’s collected a long list of enemies as a cut-throat real estate agent. And then there’s the Stonebridge Chief of Police—and Angel’s high school BFF—who brings her in for questioning.
If Angel wants to clear her name before the Christmas rush, she’s going to need to do some sleuthing on her own—and with the help of her stressed out parrot, Ralph.
More info →Cooking Up Chaos
Autumn on the Maine coast is stunning, which brings the tourists out in droves. My restaurant, the Little Dog Diner, is teeming with them, thanks to the locally famous fall festival.
Usually that’s a great thing… this year, however, the discovery of a dead body puts a damper on business awfully fast.
Add to that, the fact that the victim had a vendetta against almost every small business owner in town, and now I’ve landed right in the middle of the very long and tedious suspect list.
Looks like it’s time to toss my apron aside and don the detective hat once more. Thankfully, Pip is more than ready to assist in this one, because if I didn’t get to the bottom of this chaos quickly, it could be me getting cooked!
More info →A Dashie Discovery
Ex hairdresser Leslie Winters moves back home to Pecan, Texas after her good-for-nothing-high-school-sweetheart, and now ex-husband, left her for one of her clients.
Now she’s taken up grooming pets, since she thought they’d be easier to deal with than gossiping locals.
Living with her parents and working out of her dad’s old shed isn’t ideal, but as daddy always says, you gotta start somewhere.
While taking a pair of Pomeranians home, she’s shocked to find their owner, Mr. Williams, in his hot tub wearing nothing but a tiny swimsuit, his Stetson, and a bullet to the head!
Ready to solve the mystery?
More info →Rolling Up Revenge
Revenge is red.
Berries are blue.
When murder darkens the festival—
Will there be one victim or two?
Misty Harbor’s annual Blueberry Festival kicks off with stacks of syrupy pancakes, crumbly scones, and the rich aroma of blueberry balsamic vinegar. But the celebration curdles when Dani Mackenzie stumbles over a body behind the berry bushes.
The victim is no stranger—and a suspicious splash of vinegar leads Dani and her feisty Jack Russell terrier, Pip, straight to Christy Golden, a vendor and Dani’s own employee. Christy confesses that the dead man had been harassing her at the Little Dog Diner, and now the police are hungry for justice—with Christy as their prime suspect.
Determined to prove her friend isn't the missing ingredient in a revenge plot, Dani starts mixing up theories and sifting through festival goers for clues. With Pip sniffing out details the police overlooked, it’s clear the real killer is still stirring up trouble.
Can Dani unravel the mystery before another victim is buried beneath the blueberries?
More info →A Brush with Murder
Can Savanna Shepherd and her sisters unravel a deadly web of art and betrayal before the final brushstroke paints their doom?
When Savanna Shepherd’s father, Harlan, and artist friend Sebastian Alexander vanish during a sailing regatta along Michigan’s west coast, the Shepherd family is plunged into turmoil. As the Coast Guard scours the Great Lake, Savanna sets aside her work on Sebastian’s art show to join her sisters in comforting their mother and aiding in the search.
When Sebastian’s assistant is found dead—Savanna’s keen eye as an art authenticator turns to a darker canvas: decoding the secrets of Sebastian’s bitter family. Days later, the missing yacht drifts ashore, with Harlan gravely injured, Sebastian missing, and a sinister bloodstain on the bow.
In this compelling mystery brimming with small-town charm, loyal pets, and family ties, Savanna must piece together the clues to uncover who cut the lines, spilled the blood, and nearly tore her world apart.
More info →A Mid-Summer Murder
This small Pennsylvania town once again becomes a hotbed of secrets.
Only Angel Warren, a retired Navy Pilot and owner of Shop ‘Round the World, can turn a summer day at the river into a murder investigation. But when her brother Bryce’s unicorn float snags on a corpse’s hand, suddenly Angel and Bryce are suspects. It doesn’t help that Angel knows the victim and was one of the last people to see Hank Price alive, or that Angel witnessed a disturbing argument between Hank and his wife. Plus, she and Bryce may have heard the shot that killed Hank.
Once more, Angel inserts herself into the middle of the investigation, this time with her best friend Detective Trinity Colson’s tacit approval. Who could have wanted Hank dead? Angel soon discovers Hank had a secret life that included sketchy business dealings and a gambling addiction.
The question isn’t how Angel will juggle her sleuthing alongside managing her gift store during the height of tourist season, family drama, and a burgeoning romance. It’s how will Angel solve the crime without stumbling into the killer’s sights?
More info →Crumbling Up Crooks
Don’t get married on Christmas Eve, they said.
The holiday will overshadow your special day, they insisted.
Little did they know that a shockingly festive murder would put everything else on hold.
When all signs point to my sometimes friend, sometimes rival, Detective Crenshaw, I’ll need to work fast so that he’s not forced to spend his holiday in the slammer. But in throwing myself feet first into the real crook’s crummy conspiracy, I could be risking so much more than a spoiled day… The future of my forthcoming marriage could very well be on the line too.
Oh, boy… Can Pip and I solve this one in record time so that my fiancé’s and my perfect day can go off without another major hitch?
More info →A Pom-Pom Premise
My dog grooming business has picked up big time, thanks in part to my role in solving a local murder. Now I’ve got more dogs than I can handle—and a fresh case to solve. Who needs time for a personal life, am I right?
Unfortunately, it seems like everyone had a bone to pick with Joey Atkins, local dog breeder and recent murder victim. Yup, his list of disgruntled clients is more than I can shake a stick at, including a good friend of mine who just might be the prime suspect.
It’s enough to make me barking mad, especially when the situation turns ruff. Can I sniff out the killer, or will this case have me running away with my tail between my legs?
Ready to solve the mystery?
Grab a Pom Pom Premise, Book Two in the Mobile Groomer Mysteries Series from author M. Alfano!
More info →Death by Deception
Join the Shepherd sisters—Savanna, Skylar, and Sydney—as they use their unique skills to solve the mystery in their small town.
As a former art authenticator, Savanna Shepherd has a talent for spotting secrets hiding in plain sight. She can pinpoint a forgery from the real thing, sometimes in a glance.
After being fired and dumped in the same terrible day, Savanna moves back to her idyllic home on the banks of Lake Michigan. At least she’s close to her sisters again, and she’s enjoying her new job as an elementary school art teacher.
Savanna even rediscovers her creative soul when an old family friend hires her to paint a mural. But then a cozy book club meeting ends with a possible murder, dangerous incidents begin plaguing her friend’s mansion, and Savanna’s sharp eye is put to the test. With a little help from her sisters―and from Aidan, the intriguing town doctor―will she be able to figure out what’s wrong with this picture before they become the killer’s next canvas?
An artful cozy mystery perfect for fans of Krista Davis and Joanne Fluke.
More info →Whiskers and Ciphers
A corpse in the town’s fountain spells trouble for Rebecca Cuthbert, who, along with her talking cat, Aneksi, must uncover the killer and dangerous truths behind the cursed artifacts plaguing Citrus Grove.
The normally quiet community is buzzing with excitement as the local university prepares to host an academic conference on Egyptian antiquities that’s attracting scholars, collectors—and a few hidden agendas. Did a newcomer carry out this crime, or is the culprit closer to home?
With Detective Nick Devon at her side and her knack for connecting the dots, Rebecca finds herself once again in the thick of the investigation. With help from her resourceful grandfather and her clever feline friend, she is determined to unlock the secrets of a mysterious antique journal. But each new clue reveals a longer list of suspects, deeper suspicions, old enemies, and more threats.
Solving this puzzle may come at a deadly cost. Can she crack the case before the murderer strikes again?
More info →A Wasp in the Woods
Retired Navy Pilot Angel Warren’s sleuthing days are behind her. At least, that’s what she tells herself after finding two dead bodies during her first year back in Stonebridge, Pennsylvania. Murders make customers wary and Angel’s sales are suffering. With her daughters back in college and the cases behind her, Angel focuses on attracting more customers into her novelty shop.
Hoping to boost local tourism, Angel researches how to create a walking history tour. During a dry run for her inaugural walk, her brother’s Pomeranian leads her through the woods and to her third body, the apparent victim of multiple stings from a nearby wasp nest. Angel recognizes the deceased as her sister’s cherished employee who was days away from being married.
The scene doesn’t sit right with Angel’s best friend, Detective Trinity Colson, however, who suspects foul play. When the autopsy reveals a different cause of death, Angel dives into her most dangerous case yet. Soon Angel, along with her eclectic crew featuring two dogs and a feisty parrot, are once again on the hunt for a murderer. But is Angel also being hunted?
More info →