If you enjoy captivating stories with compelling characters, settle into a comfortable chair and immerse yourself in the latest happenings in the fictional county of Oak Grove, California. One night a huge arson fire levels controversial Reverend DeMente's mega-church. Sheriff Sydney Harding assigns her Senior Detective Alan Bluestein to tackle the arson case, but he is stymied because the number of potential suspects is enormous. In the meantime, rebuilding activities at the church site yield an unpleasant surprise--evidence of another crime! Dr. Laura Mancini, a forensic archaeologist at the university, collaborates with Bluestein on the new investigation. In a story filled with the authors' distinctive blend of serious and silly, the couple and criminalist Malique Johnson solve the crimes. Holy Smoke! also answers the question, "do Bluestein and Mancini abandon the pledge to keep their relationship strictly business?"

Holy Smoke!: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 2

Literature & Fiction

Schiffer, Annette

Schiffer, Michael

United States

MindStir Media

Without gratuitous gore and steamy sex, A Buzz About Campus is a captivating mystery. In the fictional California county of Oak Grove, the university's provost dies in his office, the victim of an apparent heart attack. But the autopsy reveals that he was murdered--by a means most diabolical. The unusual crime is investigated by Alan Bluestein, Senior Detective in the sheriff's department, and Professor Laura Mancini, a forensic archaeologist at the university. Bluestein and Mancini enjoy an evolving relationship based on mutual trust and respect even though lust simmers just below the surface. Insights into faculty life and pokes at administrators will amuse readers familiar with universities. Taking unexpected twists and turns, the quest to identify the killer is a warmhearted blend of silly and serious that will intrigue and delight the reader.

A Buzz About Campus: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 1

Schiffer, Michael Brian

Fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride in Vintage Crimes, Book 4 of The Oak Grove Chronicles. Detective Alan Bluestein and forensic archaeologist Dr. Laura Mancini set out to get their kicks on Route 66, taking a road trip that includes a visit to an archaeological field school, the Grand Canyon, and a blissful week in Arizona's White Mountains. Returning home to Oak Grove, California, Laura and Alan encounter a veritable crime spree: the theft of ancient artifacts and a mysterious skull from the university, a stolen 1954 MG roadster, and a murder in a winery. These uncommon crimes lead to challenging investigations. Follow our heroes as they - along with their capable colleagues in the sheriff 's department, criminalists Stephanie Palinsky and Malique Johnson, and Deputy James Verdugo - use all of their collective skills to apprehend the perpetrators. You'll discover the fate of Alan and Laura's personal relationship. In the authors' trademark style, Vintage Crimes is a warmhearted blend of silly and serious.

Vintage Crimes: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 4

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Thrillers & Suspense

By all appearances Oak Grove, California, should be a laid-back university town. For Sheriff's Detective Alan Bluestein and his significant other, anthropology professor Laura Mancini, the reality is far different. For starters, the professors at Oak Grove State where Laura works are on strike with no resolution on the horizon. Alan's investigation of drunk-driving accidents by underage students leads to the discovery of Oak Grove's homegrown crime family. Laura then finds herself caught in a tug of war between two Native American tribes over an ancient skeleton. As if they didn't have enough going on, Alan and Laura's loyalties to family, faith, and each other are tested during the mob investigation, their trip to Chicago to meet Laura's Italian Catholic family, a life-threatening accident, and a visit by both of their mothers-at the same time! Family Values is Book 5 of The Oak Grove Chronicles. Like the previous books, Family Values is a creative blend of serious and silly involving our collaborating couple. Will all the difficulties be resolved? Will the many problems affect Laura and Alan's relationship? Don't miss this fast-paced and engrossing story. Annette and Michael Brian Schiffer are happily married, even after writing novels together. The previous books in The Oak Grove Chronicles are A Buzz About Campus, Holy Smoke!, A Tough Nut to Crack, and Vintage Crimes. Michael also wrote the political mystery, Scoop of the Century. Annette is a retired college advisor who worked mainly with first-generation college-bound students in Tucson, Arizona, and Washington, D.C. Michael, who makes pottery, is a retired professor of anthropology (University of Arizona). The couple lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and when not writing (and rewriting) enjoys travel, family, and friends. More books in the series are in the works!

Family Loyalty: The Oak Grove Chronicles, Book 5

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Schiffer, Annette. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Schiffer, Annette

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Schiffer, Annette. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Holy Smoke!: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 2

A Buzz About Campus: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 1

Vintage Crimes: The Oak Grove Chronicles: Book 4

Family Loyalty: The Oak Grove Chronicles, Book 5