In this 3rd installment of the Sleuth Sisters Mysteries, the renters who lived on the sisters' family farm move out abruptly, and it seems that at least some of them didn't go voluntarily. Now the sisters are stuck with a menagerie of animals to care for and a mystery to solve. What happened to Ben McAdams, his girlfriend Rose, and her three daughters? Why are mysterious people hanging around the farm? And what exactly do reindeer eat? The investigation develops along with plans that please Faye's animal-loving heart. Making the best of things, she turns the farm into a horse retirement home. Still, there are those threatening figures hanging around, and details of a looming disaster emerge. On Michigan's beautiful Mackinac Island, our female sleuths must work together, face their fears, and foil a plot that only they can stop. This cozy mystery is for those who love dogs, horses, and farm animals; like a good but not-too-scary mystery with lots of humor; and know a little bit about what it's like to love a sister and want to slap her at the same moment. As one reviewer said, "If you have sisters, you've got to read this series." Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll want to go back and read the others too!

Murder in the Boonies (The Sleuth Sisters)

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Pill, Maggie

Mystery

Gwendolyn Books

THIS IS A NEW EDITION OF THIS BOOK, FIRST RELEASED IN 2011. Tori Van Camp wakes one morning on a luxurious ocean liner where she's offered whatever a person might desire: food, clothes, recreation, and the companionship of congenial people. But Tori has no memory of booking a cruise. What she does have is a vivid recollection of being shot point blank in the chest. With the help of the stunningly handsome Mike and the unnervingly serene Nancy, Tori soon learns the purpose of her voyage. Still, she’s haunted by the image of the gun, the crack of the shot, and the malevolent face of the shooter. Who wanted the young personal secretary dead, and why? Determined to find out, Tori enlists the help of Seamus, an eccentric but shrewd detective. Together they leave the Afterlife and embark on an investigation unlike anything Tori ever thought possible. Death is all around, the future is uncertain, and if Tori doesn’t act quickly, two people she cares about in Grand Rapids, Michigan, are prime candidates for murder. First in the Dead Detective Series of paranormal mysteries

The Dead Detective Agency (The Dead Detective Mysteries)

Literature & Fiction

Herring, Peg

Genre Fiction

THIS IS A NEW EDITION OF A 2012 RELEASE.When Dead Detective Seamus is asked to investigate the death of wealthy businessman William Dunbar he is more than willing, but there's an additional request. Will he take a detective-in-training along? Reluctantly, Seamus agrees and meets Mildred, who seems charming if a little headstrong. Suspects include Dunbar's family and staff, notably his beloved grandson Bud, who was with him when he fell from a bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. There's chemistry between Bud and Scarlet, a member of the household staff, and Seamus wonders why they work so hard to keep it hidden. Mildred insists on remaining with Dunbar's adopted granddaughter Brodie, a problem child who is devastated by "Gramps" death. Brodie feels that no one on earth cares about her now, and Mildred is determined to convince her otherwise. Disgusted by Mildred's disregard for the rules of non-interference with the Living, Seamus investigates the case without her. Events soon spin out of control. A kidnapping leads to a desperate chase toward the Straits of Mackinac, where several characters find themselves in peril. Will Mildred become a lost soul? Will Brodie find the will to survive? Can Seamus help his host defeat the killer, or does his presence make things worse? Nothing is certain except the possibility that more innocent people could end up Dead for the Money.

Dead for the Money (The Dead Detective Mysteries)

When a long-time friendship dies, does murder follow? Decades past junior high in a small, northern Michigan town, Caroline Batzer is snubbed by her best friend. At first confused, she's later stunned to learn Sarah Leigh betrayed her in a way she'd never have suspected. In an all-too-public setting, Caroline airs her anger at the woman everyone else in town considers saintly. When Sarah disappears soon afterward, it looks like Caroline murdered her. Desperately she tries to figure out who else could have done it—Sarah’s philandering husband? Her useless son? Why did Sarah go to the lake near the sinkholes? How did she vanish in the cold northwoods? Caroline’s nightmare is just beginning, because those responsible for what happened to Sarah come after her, and they won’t stop at just one murder. SOMEBODY DOESN'T LIKE SARAH LEIGH is a cozy Michigan mystery about the disintegration of a friendship between two women with an intriguing murder mystery that involves the historic Bay View community near Petoskey. Excerpt Darkness masked the face of the terrified woman beside me, but her labored breathing matched my own. Stumbling blindly through the dark woods, we ran into tree trunks and tripped over mounds, each of us occasionally gasping from pain at the lash of a branch across the face or stubbing a toe on an unseen rock or root. I sensed her waning spirit and flagging energy. I was not much better off. And why should I care if she fell behind? We had to stop running soon. For one thing, we had pushed ourselves farther than I would have thought possible for two women in the fifth decade of life. In addition, our hippo-like crashing through the woods made so much noise that our flight had to be easy for pursuers to track. And worst of all, we had no idea where we were going. We could end up circling back to the very people we now sought desperately to avoid. Suddenly my path was blocked, and I stopped, breath rasping in my chest. A tree lay before me, broken off halfway up, probably by lightning. Its jagged trunk pointed into the sky, but its branches swept the ground, held in place by a splinter of raw white wood that caught what little moonlight there was. My companion blundered into my back, unaware that I had stopped. Her push sent me forward a step, and I stumbled into the still-springy jumble of branches. As I caught my balance, my foot felt the edge of a depression. I thumbed the flashlight on for the briefest moment, beam angled downward. The ruined treetop hung over a gully, and the thick layers of dying branches hid an empty space beneath. My belabored brain grasped at an idea. The safety we might find there was better than nothing. How had this happened to me, middle-aged Caroline Batzer, the Bilbo Baggins of Aldridge, Michigan? The fact that I was hiding from murderers, desperate men who intended that I breathe my last before this night was over, was because of a woman who had once been such a close friend that I could never have imagined she would turn on me. Because of her, I had suffered confusion and stress, told the biggest lie of my life, was suspect in a mysterious disappearance, and was now a candidate for murder victim. I had a long time to think about the situation as we sat petrified, our legs cramping in that dank almost-grave. What had I done to deserve this? Until two years ago, I had been Sarah Elizabeth Leigh’s best friend.

Somebody Doesn't Like Sarah Leigh

Simon Maldon is a physician's son. Elizabeth Tudor is Henry VIII's daughter. Thrown together by circumstances, the two form an odd friendship. When it's learned that murdered women are being left in public dressed as nuns, no one can say what it means. Is the killer mocking the king, who ordered two of his former wives beheaded? Is it a message concerning England's religious controversy between Protestants and Catholics? Is it a madman whose motives can't be understood? Elizabeth wants to know, but there is no way she can take an active role in the investigation. To his surprise and dismay, she decides Simon must be her agent and help the King's Guard find the culprit.The investigation leads in many directions. Though unsure at first, Simon finds that he likes asking questions and ferreting out information. Elizabeth does what she can to assist without alerting her father to her involvement. While Henry doesn't know exactly what his daughter is up to, the killer soon does. That makes targets of her and Simon, and it will take all the courage they can muster to face the danger and defeat it.

Her Highness' First Murder: Simon & Elizabeth Mystery #1 (The Simon & Elizabeth Mysteries)

In this cozy mystery, the first of a series, middle-aged sisters Faye and Barb decide to open a detective agency in Allport, their small town in northern Lower Michigan. They agree that Retta, their baby sister, will NOT be included, since she tends to take over any organization she's part of. Sweetly but firmly, Retta will tell you what you should do, could do, and will do. The agency does not take off, and Faye reconsiders the decision to leave Retta out, since as the widow of a slain state trooper, she's got contacts all over Michigan. Retta's only too willing to "help" and immediately begins second-guessing their decisions, which leads to sparks between her and Barb. The sisters finally get a decent case: finding a man who apparently murdered his wife years ago and has been on the run ever since. As they try to investigate what happened, they're opposed at every turn. Local cops doubt the "lady detectives" and most of the town is convinced Neil Brown killed his wife and brother-in-law in a fit of anger. The murder victims' father has no doubt Brown is guilty, and he's furious that anyone might take a different view. Still, someone wants to keep the sisters from finding Brown and digging into what really happened the day he left Allport. As the sisters piece things together, the new police chief seems like a possible ally. The problem is that both Barb and Retta are attracted to him, and Retta seldom meets a man she can't get. Accepting defeat in that arena, Barb tries to concentrate on the case and prove Brown isn't guilty of murder. That leads to a show-down with a desperate killer in a remote, dangerous spot. Only Faye and Retta can save her, and they have no idea where she is. Family humor--particularly the close-but-oh-so-different status of sisters, plays a big role in this murder mystery. Each sister has strengths and foibles. Barb, intelligent and composed, sneaks around town at night, correcting the spelling and grammatical errors on signs that drive her bonkers. Faye, kind-hearted but insecure, can't see herself as the capable person she is. And Retta? She's only trying to help when she tells you exactly what you should do with your life--or your detective agency. One reviewer's comment: "If you have sisters, you have to read this book!"

The Sleuth Sisters: A Sleuth Sisters Mystery

When Retta’s “gentleman friend” is accused of murder, the Sleuth Sisters take on the case, though some of the locals still aren't sure about the value of female sleuths. Winston Darrow is a charmer, but his secrets create trouble that spills onto Retta, Barb, Faye, and even police chief Rory Neuencamp. Someone is out to get Win, someone he claims is the real killer. While Retta admits Win is less trustworthy than her daffy Newfoundland dog, she insists he’s not a murderer. Dogs become an issue when Faye rescues a mutt she finds hurt on the road. Though Barb isn’t a fan, she can’t refuse Faye’s request to keep the homely, ill-tempered Buddy. Retta, though doubtful about adopting strays, is determined that Faye’s dog and her Styx will be great friends. The adjustment isn't easy, since Buddy sees Faye as the only worthwhile being in the world. Watching the interplay between dogs and sisters, Barb tries to hold on to her sense of humor. As the sisters conduct their investigation, mysterious men interfere, each more threatening than the last. What do they want with them—and with Winston? When the situation turns dangerous, the sleuths hide Win at Rory’s cabin, reachable in a Michigan winter only by snowmobile. In the frozen wilderness, Barb and Retta must ignore their differences and work together to stay alive. Back at home, Faye faces a deadly enemy with only Buddy and a couple of horses for backup. If you like a good cozy mystery or if you have a sister or a dog that you love despite the problems they create, you're ready for this second adventure of the Sleuth Sisters, which can be read as a stand-alone mystery. If the Sleuth Sisters live through their adventures, it will be due to family solidarity, doggie instincts, and loyal friends. But really, who would ask for more?

3 Sleuths, 2 Dogs, 1 Murder: A Sleuth Sisters Mystery (The Sleuth Sisters)

Maggie Pill's characters seem like people you know: In The Sleuth Sisters Series, it's siblings we love but can't always relate to. In the Trailer Park Tales Series, we meet the residents of an RV park in Florida: fussy husbands, smart-aleck wives, grumpy neighbors, conspiracy lovers, and more. The residents of B-Bird Over-55 RV Park are mostly snow-birds, so for months each year they face the joys and irritations of living in tight spaces with people from all over the place. Usually they cope with good humor, but at times it's difficult. In ONCE UPON A TRAILER PARK, a murder on the property put residents on alert and one woman in deadly danger. In this, the second story of the series, our heroes are presented with two crime threads, one hot and one cold. The cold case is half a century old, which is okay, since many residents remember those days like they were yesterday. In 1967, on a warm night in Nashville, Tennessee, someone committed two brutal murders. It's reported that person now lives in the park, hiding under a false identity. When local police ask Ron and Julie Rogers to try to find out who it is, they enlist the help of their friends to learn where each man in the park was on the date the crime occurred. The other crime is ongoing, and more of an annoyance than a concern. Rumor says someone is peeping in residents' windows, but it must be admitted that in any large community, rumor is often wrong. Ignoring the peeper sightings, the sleuths concentrate on finding the eighty-year-old killer. Neck-deep in suspects, they have no idea how dangerous things will become for one of them.

Twice the Crime This Time (Trailer Park Tales)

Faye meets a woman at a local nursing home who claims she doesn’t belong there. Investigation leads some intriguing questions: Why did someone force Clara out of her home? How did one neighbor die and another lose his home to fire? And can a dog and a dozen chickens be part of a daring rescue?

Sleuthing at Sweet Springs (The Sleuth Sisters)

What do a kayak, a wine barrel, and a tractor have in common? They’re all weapons in the hands of women with Sister Power! When the FBI asks the Sleuth Sisters to attend a retreat for “Love-Able Ladies,” Barb opts out, unwilling to spend a weekend celebrating the joys of being some man’s “little wife.” Retta is eager to go, since the venue is a swanky vineyard/inn on the Leelanau Peninsula, north of Traverse City, Michigan. Never a fan of large groups of strangers, Faye would just as soon stay home, but since Retta needs a “wing-woman,” she doesn’t get a choice. Their assignment is to assess the possibility a retreat attendee might cooperate in an FBI investigation. Dina Engel is launching a line of high-fashion clothing, and the feds hope that means she’s separating herself from her drug king-pin father. The sisters are supposed to get to know Dina, hint the Bureau is interested in a meeting, and provide her with a safe way to contact them. Though the setting is lovely and the inn is all that Retta imagined, things quickly go bad. Murder, kidnapping, and a mysterious plot involving Dina’s fashion show plunge Faye and Retta into danger. The sisters are separated from each other and threatened with death if they don’t cooperate. Retta finds it hard being isolated and alone. Faye has to decide which people around her are enemies and which are innocent retreat attendees. Sensing trouble, Barb shows up, but she soon faces a choice between being shot and drowning in Grand Traverse Bay. It seems impossible all three sisters can survive the dream weekend-turned-nightmare. Still, this is the fifth Sleuth Sisters adventure, so readers know these women don’t give up easily. Sit back, have a glass of wine, and learn a little more about Sister Power!

Eat, Drink, and Be Wary (The Sleuth Sisters)

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