Miranda James, a pen name of Dean James, is a well-known author of mystery novels and series.
Dean James was born in Texas. He had an interest in writing since he was a child, as indicated by his writing his first book at twelve. Throughout his career, James worked as a healthcare librarian for fifteen years and published articles on the origins of early medicine and science.
He worked on famous productions such as Killer Books and the Dick Francis Companion.
Cruel as Grave, Miranda James’ first book, was published in 2000. The book received significant attention, which inspired him to write under his name.
His next book, Classified as Murder, was his first book to reach the top of the New York Times bestseller list. File M for Murder was the next book in the series. Miranda/Dean described it as one of his favorite books. James’ next book to make the bestseller list was Out of Circulation. He isn’t a solely independent writer as he prefers to work with other writers to produce better books. His previous major collaborations included Jean Swanson and Elizabeth Foxwell.
James currently lives in New York with his two cats and his great collection of books. He loves writing and music.
Miranda James Books in order
Deep South Mysteries
Southern Ladies Mysteries
- Bless Her Dead Little Heart (2014)
- Dead with the Wind (2015)
- Digging Up the Dirt (2016)
- Fixing to Die (2017)
Trailer Park Mysteries
- Flamingo Fatale (2005)
- Murder Over Easy (2006)
- Best Served Cold (2007)
- Bring Your Own Poison (2008)
- Leftover Dead (2008)
Cat In the Stacks Mysteries
- Murder Past Due (2010)
- Classified as Murder (2011)
- File M for Murder (2012)
- Out of Circulation (2013)
- The Silence of the Library (2014)
- Arsenic and Old Books (2015)
- No Cats Allowed (2016)
- Twelve Angry Librarians (2017)
- Claws for Concern (2018)
- Six Cats a Slayin (2018)
- The Pawful Truth (2019)
- Careless Whiskers (2020)
- Cat Me If You Can (2020)
- What the Cat Dragged In (2021)
Simon Kirby-Jones
Bridge Club Mysteries
Melrose Place
Similar authors
- Sofie Kelly’s Magical Cats Mystery follows small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson. When a murder happens, she must find the real killer, with help from her feline friends Owen and Hercule.
- Laurie Cass’s Bookmobile Cat Mystery features librarian Minnie Hamilton and his bookmobile. With his cat, Eddie, she must solve the murder of a local man.
See also: The Cat Who Books in Order.
Most recommended books
- What the Cat Dragged In (Cat in the Stacks #14) (4.29 Goodreads score)
- Six Cats a Slayin’ (Cat in the Stacks, #10) (4.18 Goodreads score)
- Digging Up the Dirt (Southern Ladies Mystery, #3) (4.17 Goodreads score)
- No Cats Allowed (Cat in the Stacks, #7) (4.14 Goodreads score)
- Fixing to Die (Southern Ladies Mystery, #4) (4.1 Goodreads score)
Awards
His first book, “By a Woman’s Hand,” won the Agatha Award for best nonfiction.
Latest releases
Miranda’s next book is Hiss Me Deadly. It is the 15th book in the Cat in the Stacks series and will be published in 2023.
Book summaries
Cruel as the Grave (2000)
A Deep South Mystery (#1) Graduate student Maggie McLendon is at home in Houston, studying for exams, when a letter from her great aunt arrives, bearing bad news. Maggie’s grandfather, Henry McLendon is seriously ill in Jackson, Mississippi. Maggie’s never met her relations: her father, English professor Gerard McLendon, has been estranged from his family since Maggie was an infant; perhaps now there is one last chance for the McLendons to be reunited.The family welcomes Maggie and her father with open arms to Jackson, but almost immediately, a murderer strikes—and Gerard McLendon is the chief suspect. But when the killer strikes a second time, it looks like Maggie’s father could be the next victim…Racing against time, Maggie delves deep into the mystery surrounding her grandmother’s suspicious death 25 years ago and discovers long-held family secrets that could lead her straight to the killer. If only she can get there in time to save her father…
Closer Than the Bones (2001)
A Deep South Mystery (#2)Recently retired from teaching high school English, Ernestine Carpenter freely admits that she’s more than a bit nosy. Ernie (as she’s called by her nearest and dearest) is also good at solving problems, and she’s let it be known, amongst them, that she’s willing to take on…interesting…jobs.Mary Tucker McElroy, well-known in Southern literary circles as a generous patron. Six months earlier, her literary group had gathered for the Christmas festivities at Idlewild, Miss McElroy’s ancestral home in north central Mississippi, and one guest, writer Sukey Lytton, turned up dead in the pond one day, an apparent, but suspicious suicide. Miss McElroy is convinced that Sukey Lytton was murdered, and she wants Ernie to help her figure out the guilty party.But who can it be? Was it Lurleen Landry, best-selling author of Southern women’s fiction? Did Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Russell Bertram kill her? Or was it his nasty, vindictive wife Alice? Maybe it was literary enfant terrible Brett Doran, who seems to have more than one secret to hide. Could Sukey Lytton’s missing manuscript be the motive?When the killer strikes again, it’s up to Ernie to save her friends and find the killer…or she may be next!
Death by Dissertation (2013)
A Deep South Mystery (#3):For Andy Carpenter, graduate school is stressful enough without adding romantic complications to the mix. First, Andy has to contend with the presence of Rob Hayward, newly enrolled in the history PhD program. He thought Rob was out of his life for good, but now he has to confront his unresolved feelings and not let his work suffer.When Andy discovers the body of fellow graduate student Charlie Harper in the university library, his ex, Rob, looks like the chief suspect in the murder. And just what was the relationship between Rob and Charlie?Andy and his best friend, Maggie McLendon, agree that Rob isn’t a murderer, and they decide the best way to exonerate him is to figure out who really killed Charlie. Who else might have had a motive for murder? When a second murder occurs, Andy, Maggie, and Rob must work quickly to find the killer before Rob ends up charged with two murders he didn’t commit…or even worse, dead!
Bless Her Dead Little Heart (2014)
With the Mississippi sun beating down, An’gel and Dickce are taking a break to cool off and pet sit their friend Charlie Harris’s cat, Diesel, when their former sorority sister, Rosabelle Sultan, shows up at their door unexpectedly, with her ne’er-do-well adult children not far behind.Rosabelle’s selfish offspring are desperate to discover what’s in her will, and it soon becomes clear that one of them would kill to get their hands on the inheritance. Suddenly caught up in a deadly tangle of duplicitous suspects and deep-fried motives, it will take all of the sisters’ Southern charm to catch a decidedly ill-mannered killer…
Dead with the Wind (2015)
An’gel and Dickce Ducote tend to stay put in Athena, Mississippi, but a wedding is a good reason to say a temporary farewell to Charlie Harris’s cat Diesel and go visit relatives. But while their stay in Louisiana is scorching hot, the atmosphere at the wedding is downright cold, with bride-to-be Sondra Delevan putting her trust fund above little things like love and loyalty.When a violent storm supposedly sweeps Sondra off a balcony to her death, the sisters discover that many of the guests attending the wedding had major reasons to object to Sondra’s marriage. Now, it’s up to An’gel and Dickce to use their down-home instincts to expose dubious alibis, silver-plated secrets, and one relentless murderer who lives for “till death do us part.”
Digging Up the Dirt (2016)
An’gel and Dickce Ducote, busy with plans for the Athena Garden Club’s spring tour of grand old homes, are having trouble getting the other club members to help. The rest of the group is all a-flutter now that dashing and still-eligible Hadley Partridge is back to restore his family mansion. But the idle chatter soon turns deadly serious when a body turns up on the Partridge estate after a storm… The remains might belong to Hadley’s long-lost sister-in-law, Callie, who everyone thought ran off with Hadley years ago. And if it’s not Callie, who could it be? As the Ducotes begin uncovering secrets, they discover that more than one person in Athena would kill to be Mrs. Partridge. Now An’gel and Dickce will need to get their hands dirty if they hope to reveal a killer’s deep-buried motives before someone else’s name is mud…
Fixing to Die (2017)
It’s autumn down south, and An’gel and Dickce Ducote are in Natchez, Mississippi, at the request of Mary Turner Catlin, the granddaughter of an old friend. Mary and her husband, Henry Howard, live in Cliffwood, one of the beautiful antebellum homes for which Natchez is famous. Odd things have been happening in the house for years, and the French Room in particular has become the focal point for spooky sensations. The Ducotes suspect the ghostly goings-on are caused by the living, but when a relative of the Catlins is found dead in the room, An’gel and Dickce must sift through a haunted family history to catch a killer.
Flamingo Fatale (2005)
A Trailer Park Mystery (#1)Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!Wanda Nell Cullpepper’s hectic life isn’t getting any easier. When she returns home from a long day of double shifts at her day job waitressing at the Kountry Kitchen diner and her night shifts at the Budget Mart, the last person she wants to see is her no-account ex-husband, Bobby Ray, talking big and flashing cash.Just when she thinks things can’t get worse, Wanda Nell wakes up the next day to find Bobby Ray just plain dead—killed with her favorite pink flamingo yard ornament! But things go from bad to worse: now the sheriff is eyeing Wanda Nell as the primary suspect…and the real murderers have her in their sights. But she’s come this far on wits and grits, so with the help of her trusty best friend, Wanda Nell sets out to fight back and catch the real culprits—or lose her life!
Murder Over Easy (2006)
A Trailer Park Mystery (#2)Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!Wanda Nell Culpepper’s juggling a lot of plates—two full-time jobs and riding hard on her rambunctious kids. But it looks like she’s just landed a blue-plate special when one of her fellow waitresses winds up dead.Fayette’s death is no real surprise: Wanda knows she had the temper and morals of snake, along with very expensive taste in powerful men. She was also stepping out with Melvin Arbuckle, Wanda Nell’s true-blue boss, so he’s the one who’s taking the heat. Still, something in the kitchen doesn’t smell right…Wanda Nell may be too busy to tackle another mystery, but no way will she let Melvin fry!
Best Served Cold (2007)
A Trailer Park Mystery (#3)Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!During a night shift waitressing at the Kountry Kitchen, Wanda Nell Culpepper sees a shocking customer in her section of the diner—her long-lost brother, Rusty. Wanda and Rusty haven’t talked since their dear mama passed on, and Wanda thinks it’s high-time for a reconciliation. But Rusty has his own reasons for coming back to their small hometown…and it seems stirring up trouble is one of them!Then a man is found murdered—the same man who was involved in a highly visible argument with Rusty just hours before he was killed! And Rusty is nowhere to be found…But Wanda Nell knows her baby brother couldn’t kill anyone. So she’s got to find Rusty and the real killer before the mess starts smelling like weeks-old hush puppies!
Bring Your Own Poison (2008)
A Trailer Park Mystery (#4)Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!With her two full-time jobs, Wanda Nell Cullpepper is already burning the midnight oil straight on into the next day. Still, she can’t pass up an opportunity to earn some extra green. So when the Kountry Kitchen hosts an exclusive bachelor party, Wanda Nell agrees to the extra shift.When the groom-to-be croaks after making a naughty toast, his younger brother is immediately arrested for murder. But something doesn’t sit right with Wanda Nell, who suspects there’s more to this sibling rivalry…Now Wanda Nell has to find the real killer…before he finds her!!
Leftover Dead (2008)
A Trailer Park Mystery (#5)Kountry Kitchen Southern cooking recipes included!Whatever happened to time off? Newly married Wanda Nell Culpepper is counting the minutes until her honeymoon with Jack. No work, no kids, nothing but Jack. But an unsolved cold-case murder is about to intrude on their partnered paradise…A young woman’s body is found on the Tullahoma County High School football field—and Wanda Nell and Jack begin to unwind a tangled trail of deceit. With some help from a retired schoolteacher, they uncover the prime suspect—who swears he’s innocent. But when a relative of the young woman is found dead, Wanda and Jack know they must be hot on the killer’s trail…Will Wanda Nell and Jack be able to find the murderer before her honeymoon is over…or will the murderer make this a shotgun funeral?!?
Murder Past Due (2010)
Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows Charlie Harris, the good-natured librarian with a rescued Maine coon cat named Diesel that he walks on a leash. He’s returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but soon enough he’s entangled in a real-life thriller… A famous author of gory bestsellers and a former classmate of Charlie’s, Godfrey Priest may be the pride of Athena, but Charlie remembers him as an arrogant, manipulative jerk—and he’s not the only one. Godfrey’s homecoming as a distinguished alumnus couldn’t possibly go worse: by lunch, he’s put a man in the hospital. By dinner, Godfrey’s dead. Now it’s up to Charlie, with some help from Diesel, to paw through the town’s grudges and find the killer before an impatient deputy throws the book at the wrong person. But every last one of Charlie’s friends and co-workers had a score to settle with the nasty novelist. As if the murder wasn’t already purr-plexing enough..
Classified as Murder (2011)
Suspecting that someone is stealing from him, the aging and eccentric James Delacorte wants Charlie to do an inventory on his rare book collection. Soon after they begin, Delacorte is found dead at his desk, leaving Charlie with the bigger task of solving his murder. Immediately Charlie is suspicious of Delacorte’s own family, and relies on the help of Diesel to paw around for clues. The cat and mouse game heats up after a highly valued copy of Edgar Allan Poe’s Tamerlane goes missing and a second murder occurs. Now Charlie and Diesel must solve the case before the killer strikes a third time—and hope curiosity doesn’t kill the cat.
File M for Murder (2012)
Athena College’s new writer in residence is a famous native son, playwright Connor Lawton, known for his sharp writing—and sharper tongue. After an unpleasant encounter, librarian Charlie Harris heads home to a nice surprise: his daughter, Laura, is visiting and will be subbing for another professor this fall semester. It’s great news until he hears who got her the job: her old flame, Connor Lawton…Fearing competition for Connor’s affections, one of his admirers tries to drive Laura out of town. And then, before Connor finishes the play he is writing, he is murdered—and Laura is the prime suspect. Knowing she’s innocent, Charlie and his faithful sidekick, Diesel, follow Connor’s cluttered trail of angry lovers, bitter enemies, and intriguing library research to find the true killer before his daughter is forever cataloged under “M”—for murderer.
Out of Circulation (2013)
The Ducote sisters are in a tiff with Vera Cassity over the location of Athena, Mississippi’s annual library fundraising gala, and Charlie would rather curl up in a corner than get into the fray. It seems everyone—even his housekeeper Azalea—has it in for Vera. And at the gala, she gives them good reason, with a public display of rancor aimed at anyone who gets in her way.But those bitter words wind up being her last. When Charlie discovers Azalea standing over Vera’s dead body, it’s up to him—with a little help from Diesel—to clear Azalea’s name, and catch a killer before his last chapter is finished.
The Silence of the Library (2014)
It’s National Library Week, and the Athena Public Library is planning an exhibit to honor the centenary of famous novelist Electra Barnes Cartwright—creator of the beloved Veronica Thane series.Charlie has a soft spot for Cartwright’s girl detective stories (not to mention an extensive collection of her books!). When the author agrees to make a rare public appearance, the news of her whereabouts goes viral overnight, and series devotees and book collectors converge on Athena.After all, it’s rumored that Cartwright penned Veronica Thane stories that remain under wraps, and one rabid fan will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get hold of the rare books..
Arsenic and Old Books (2015)
Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, Mississippi, has donated a set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. She would like librarian Charlie Harris to preserve and substantiate them as a part of the Long family legacy—something that could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign for the state senate. Beck’s biggest rival would like to get a look at the diaries in an attempt to expose the Long family’s past sins. Meanwhile, a history professor is also determined to get her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure. But their interest suddenly turns deadly, leaving Charlie with a catalog of questions to answer. Together with his Maine Coon cat Diesel, Charlie must discover why the diaries were worth killing for before he too reaches his final chapter.
No Cats Allowed (2016)
Mississippi librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat Diesel are on their guard. Oscar Reilly, the new director at the Athena College library, is on a mission to cut costs and has set his sights on the archive and rare book collection. Reilly’s also out to replace Charlie’s fiery friend Melba with someone younger, but his biggest offense is declaring all four-legged creatures banned from the stacks. With enemies aplenty, the suspect list is long when Reilly’s body is discovered in the library, but incriminating evidence throws suspicion on Melba. Charlie is convinced that his friend is no murderer, especially when he catches sight of a menacing stranger lurking around the library. Now he and Diesel will have to read between the lines, before Melba is shelved under “G” for guilty…
Twelve Angry Librarians (2017)
Charlie is stressed out. The Southern Academic Libraries Association is holding this year’s annual meeting at Athena College. Since Charlie is the interim library director, he must deliver the welcome speech to all the visiting librarians. And as if that weren’t bad enough, the keynote address will be delivered by Charlie’s old nemesis from library school. It’s been thirty years since Charlie has seen Gavin Fong, and he’s still an insufferable know-it-all capable of getting under everyone’s skin. In his keynote, Gavin puts forth a most unpopular opinion: that degreed librarians will be obsolete in the academic libraries of the future. So when Gavin drops dead, no one seems too upset… But Charlie, who was seen having a heated argument with Gavin the day before, has jumped to the top of the suspect list. Now Charlie and Diesel must check out every clue to refine their search for the real killer among them before the next book Charlie reads comes from a prison library…
Claws for Concern (2018)
Charlie Harris is busy enjoying his new grandson when a mysterious man with a connection to Charlie’s family starts visiting the library, bringing with him troubling questions about an unsolved murder…Charlie may be a proud new grandfather, but he and Diesel still have work to do at Athena College and the small Mississippi town’s public library. He’s too busy to deal with true-crime writer Jack Pemberton, who wants Charlie as the subject of his latest book–and who won’t take no for an answer. A more appealing proposition for Charlie is spending time helping a kind, elderly man navigate the library’s genealogical database. But he’s shocked when he learns that the visitor’s search is focused on a member of his own family: his late aunt’s husband.Charlie befriends the man and considers inviting him to stay in his home, but he’s soon given reason to question that notion. Jack is certain that Charlie’s new houseguest was involved in a shocking homicide that took place years ago in a small town near Athena. As this cold case heats up, Charlie and Diesel have to uncover a killer who may already be too close to home.
Six Cats a Slayin (2018)
December twenty-fifth is right around the corner, and Charlie is making his list and checking it twice. He is doing his best to show some peace and goodwill toward his nosy neighbor Gerry Arbitron, a real estate agent who seems to have designs on his house (and maybe on him, as well), while preparing for a very important role, indeed–his first Christmas as a grandfather.The last thing Charlie expects is to gain several new additions to his family. Charlie finds a box on his doorstep with five kittens inside and a note begging him to keep them safe. With Diesel’s help, Charlie welcomes the tiny felines into the Harris household just as Gerry decides it is time to throw a lavish holiday party.Determined to make her mark on Athena, Gerry instead winds up dead at her very own party. Though attempts to dig into her past come up empty, Charlie and his girlfriend, Helen Louise, witness two heated exchanges involving Gerry before her death: one with a leading citizen and another with the wife of a good friend. Will one of these ladies wind up on the sheriff’s naughty list? Charlie and Diesel have to wrap up the case before the special season is ruined by a sinister scrooge.
The Pawful Truth (2019)
In addition to his library duties and his role as doting grandad, Charlie has enrolled in an early medieval history course offered by young, charismatic professor Carey Warriner. Charlie feels a bit out of place- his fellow classmates are half his age- except for Dixie Bell Compton, another ‘mature’ student. When Charlie hears an angry exchange between her and their professor, his interest in piqued. He’s even more intrigued when she shows up at his office asking for a study partner. Charlie turns her down and is saddened to learn just a few days later that Dixie has been killed. Charlie wonders if Professor Warriner had anything to do with Dixie’s death. Warriner is married to a fellow professor who happens to be a successful author. There are rumors on campus that their marriage was on the rocks. Was Dixie’s death the result of a lovers’ triangle gone bad? Charlie soon discovers that the professor’s wife may have some secrets of her own and his suspect list is only getting longer. As he and Diesel step further into the tangled web of relationships, someone else is viciously killed. Whose jealousy finally erupted into murderous rage? Was it a crime of passion or is there another more sinister motive? Charlie races to unravel this mystery: and to draw out the culprit, he may just have to put his own life on the line…
Careless Whiskers (2020)
Charlie Harris has sworn off investigating murder and mayhem after a recent close call. Instead, he’s delighted to cheer on his daughter, Laura, who’s starring in a production of Careless Whispers. The theater department at Athena College is debuting the play written by a fledgling playwright with local connections and Charlie’s son-in-law, Frank Salisbury, will be calling the directorial shots. Laura is upset to learn that Luke Lombardi, an overbearing actor she knew from her time in Hollywood will also be taking part in the production as a guest artist. Lombardi arrives with an entourage in tow and promptly proceeds to annoy everyone involved with the production. When he collapses and dies on stage, after drinking from a glass Laura handed him, she becomes the chief suspect in his murder. Charlie knows his daughter is innocent, and he’s not going to let anyone railroad his little girl. So, despite his intentions to put his amateur sleuthing days behind him, Charlie has to take center stage, and with Diesel’s help, shine a spotlight on the real killer..
Cat Me If You Can (2020)
Charlie and Diesel along with Charlie’s fiancée, Helen Louise Brady, are heading to Asheville, North Carolina to spend a week at a boutique hotel and participate in a gathering of a mystery reader’s club composed of patrons of the Athena Public Library. In addition to seeing the local sights, the members will take turns giving talks on their favorite authors. The always spry Ducote sisters, friends of the hotel’s owners, are helping underwrite the expenses, and they’ve insisted that Charlie, Helen, and Diesel join them. Anxious to get Helen Louise away from her bistro for a vacation, Charlie readily agrees. While Charlie is looking forward to relaxing with Helen Louise and Diesel, other members of the group have ulterior motives including a long-standing score to settle.When an intrusive, uninvited guest turns up dead, only one mystery club member with a connection to the deceased appears to have a motive to kill. But could the answer really be that simple? Charlie and Diesel, along with the detecting Ducote sisters, know that every murder plot has an unexpected twist.
What the Cat Dragged In (2021)
Charlie has always believed that his grandfather had sold his house to his longtime tenant, Martin Hale. So when Martin dies, Charlie is surprised to discover the house was not left to Martin but instead belongs to Charlie. As he and Diesel check out the house he remembers fondly from his childhood, he is pleasantly surprised that it is in better condition than expected. That is, until they find a literal skeleton in a closet.While the sheriff’s department investigates the mysterious remains, Charlie digs deeper into the past for clues to the identity of the bones and why they are there. But the cold case heats up quickly when Martin’s grandson is found dead on the farm.As Charlie delves into his own family history, he encounters many people who might have been motivated to take a life. But Charlie and Diesel know that things are not always what they seem, and that secrets seemingly lost to time have a way of finding their way back to haunt the present.
Posted to Death (2002)
Amateur sleuth, Simon Kirby-Jones is looking forward to settling into his new home in the quaint British village of Snupperton—despite a few potential challenges. Not only is Simon an American, but he’s also a gay vampire who controls his vampiric urges and sun sensitivity with an effective medication.Delighted to be in the cozy English village of his dreams, he’s eager to make Snupperton his home, and joins the fundraising committee of the local church. But at the first meeting, an argument breaks out between the town matriarch Lady Prunella Blitherington, and the nosy village postmaster, Abigail Winterton.When Abigail is found murdered the next day, Simon determines to reveal the murderer in town– and in the process discovers all the delightfully sordid secrets of Snupperton!
Faked to Death (2003)
When he’s invited to an exclusive writer’s conference he’s astonished –and outraged—to see that “Dorina Darlington” is the featured speaker. Clearly the woman is an imposter, because Simon is the real Dorina Darlington! And when the fake Dorina turns up dead, Simon suspects he’s next on the killer’s list…There are definite advantages to being undead—little fear of being murdered is high on the list. But Simon is as nosy as he is kind, so he decides to unearth the true killer before any of his fellow writers fall prey!
Decorated to Death (2004)
The typically quiet British village of Snupperton Mumsley is bustling over the arrival of Zeke Harwood, the insufferable star of a popular TV decorating show. The Snupperton episode is supposed to feature the redecorating of Lady Prunella Blitherington’s drawing room, but Zeke plans to paint the room a garish red—and he and Lady Prunella are caught on tape in the midst of a dreadful argument.When Zeke is found murdered—and covered in red paint!—Lady Prunella becomes the chief suspect. But Simon Kirby-Jones, part-time amateur sleuth and full-time gay vampire, unearths plenty of other motives among the guests, villagers…and even the butler! Meanwhile, Simon is stumped as to why he suddenly has urges to nibble some necks—A symptom his medication is supposed to suppress!
Baked to Death (2005)
Lady Prunella Blitherington, the grande dame mother of Simon Kirby-Jones’s handsome trusty assistant, Giles, has just sold one of her meadows to a London businessman who plans to turn the land into a lucrative tourist attraction. But first he has to figure out how to oust a club zealously dedicated to medieval reenactments.Since Henry Baker, the original “king” of the group is vehemently opposed to the idea of a tourist attraction, he is expelled for a more amenable leader, restaurant owner Luke d’Amboise. But when Henry is found poisoned by a fig pastry (recipe included!), Simon discovers a bitter rivalry within the medieval players…could it be enough to kill a king?!?Simon already has his hands full discovering who is at the bottom of this coup d’etat—when Tristan Lovelace, Simon’s very charming former boyfriend visits Snupperton Mumsley. Will Simon succumb to Tristan’s charisma or will he finally soften towards Giles Blitherington, his always loyal personal assistant?
On The Slam (2007)
A Bridge Club Mystery (#1)Bridge tips included! Meet Emma Diamond: greenhorn bridge player, recent widow, and the kind of person who always returns her library books on time.Emma’s just returned home to Houston to live next-door to Sophie, her best friend of 30 years. Sophie is delighted to share the joys of a good bridge game with Emma and her new neighbors; but their very first game doesn’t go as planned…with one of the players found murdered.The victim, a notorious spoil-sport, was reviled by the entire neighborhood, which leaves a stacked deck of suspects for the police to investigate. But Emma and Sophie have their own suspicions, suspicions that the police aren’t prioritizing…If Emma and Sophie don’t find the real killer, they might be playing their last hand!!!
The Unkindest Cut (2008)
A Bridge Club Mystery (#2)Bridge tips included! Young widow, Emma Diamond has been learning bridge to refocus her grief. So when best friends and bridge partners Sophie and Marylou decide to attend a relaxing bridge retreat in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, Emma can’t possibly say no.But once Emma and her friends arrive, they soon realize that this retreat will be anything but relaxing! The two bridge instructors are bitter rivals – each trying to recruit the players into their own personal camps…When one of the bridge instructors turns up dead and clutching the queen of diamonds in his hand, all heads turn to Emma. She knows she’s innocent – after all, Diamond is her last name! – but fears the murderer may be sending her a message.Now Emma and her friends must solve the mystery and discover who the killer is before he strikes again…or they could be next!
Tough Love (1993)
Just outside Beverly Hills, there’s a place where people go to pursue their dreams and make their way in the world.Eight people, thrown together as they face what life has in store for them, each caught up in their own problems yet always there for the others. Melrose Place… it’s about friendship.
