Sometimes a novel idea can turn out to be a bad one. Sally Simmons was rather misunderstood in the small town of Whitby, North Carolina. An awkward woman with a sly countenance, she became a regular at the library, spending a good deal of time scribbling in a notebook and staring vacantly off into space. It turned out, to everyone's surprise, that Sally had been industriously penning a novel. To their greater surprise, it became something of a sensation, even landing itself on the bestseller lists. Since much of the novel had been written within the hallowed walls of the Whitby Library, reference librarian Ann and other staff members decide to hold an event to celebrate Sally's accomplishment and learn more about her book. Sadly, it soon becomes evident that Sally's book was inspired by actual residents of Whitby—and that she concealed their identities poorly. When Sally meets an unfortunate demise, it's up to Ann to figure out the killer so the police can throw the book at him.
This Myrtle Clover sampler, which has several full-length cozy mysteries, contains Death at a Drop-In, A Body at Book Club, and Death Pays a Visit. These books collectively have over 170 5-star reviews. Death at a Drop-In: You’re invited to a deadly drop-in:Cosette Whitlow is a society matron…if tiny Bradley, North Carolina, has one. She kindly volunteers for all the town's charities, but isn’t nearly as kind to her own family, neighbors, and friends. In fact, Cosette is emphatically disliked by much of the town—including octogenarian Myrtle Clover. And Myrtle knows that dislike in Bradley can quickly turn deadly.No one seems surprised when Cosette’s body is discovered during a party she’s hosting—she was struck on the head with a croquet mallet. Wanting to restore order to the small town, Myrtle resolves to track down the killer—before the killer strikes again. A Body at Book Club This is one book club meeting that doesn’t go by the book.When octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover discovers Naomi Pelter’s dead body during a book club meeting, the other members seem shocked. But Myrtle can read between the lines. Naomi had riled everyone up by flirting with other people’s husbands, arguing with neighbors, and generally making a nuisance of herself. Murdering troublemakers is the oldest trick in the book.The book club members seem too sweet to be killers, but Myrtle knows better than to judge books by their covers. Myrtle’s investigation into the murder will take a more novel approach than her police chief son’s by-the-book methods. Can Myrtle and her widower sidekick uncover the killer…before he writes them off for good? Death Pays a Visit At Greener Pastures Retirement Home, leisure time can prove perilous.When psychic (and hubcap retailer) Wanda Alewine pays a late-night visit to Myrtle Clover, she urges the octogenarian sleuth to head straight to Greener Pastures Retirement Home. But Wanda doesn't want Myrtle to consider the Home's dubious amenities--she wants Myrtle to prevent a murder seen in a vision.Reluctant Myrtle investigates with sidekick Miles, who seems a lot more interested in Greener Pastures than she is. As the duo digs, they uncover more than just Sudoku and Scrabble—they discover a sinister undercurrent… with murder as its outcome.
ForeWord: "The treat here is Myrtle's eccentricity, brought to life with rich humor and executed ...with breezy skill."This Myrtle Clover sampler, which has several full-length early cozy mysteries in the series, contains "Progressive Dinner Deadly," "A Dyeing Shame," and "A Body in the Backyard." These books collectively have over 650 five-star reviews.The sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, might not be as quiet as it seems. Murders happen at a steady rate and octogenarian amateur sleuth Myrtle Clover is determined to solve them before her police chief son.Progressive Dinner Deadly:Who wants chips and dip when they can have Dickens and Twain?To the residents of the sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, hardworking Jill Caulfield seemed beyond reproach. She volunteered at the women’s shelter, worked at the church preschool, cleaned houses for extra money, and actually enjoyed yard work. And she was nothing less than a saint to cheerfully put up with her unemployed, skirt-chasing, boozer of a husband.When intrepid octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover caught Jill, her new housekeeper, peering into her medicine cabinet, she should have been upset. But discovering that Jill wasn’t such a squeaky-clean goody-goody made her vastly more interesting in Myrtle’s eyes.Myrtle would have happily continued figuring out what made Jill Caulfield tick. If Jill hadn’t foolishly gone and gotten herself murdered, that is.A Dyeing Shame:Some beauty secrets are more dangerous than others…When Beauty Box beautician Tammy Smith is discovered with a pair of hair shears in her back, there are suspects and secrets aplenty in her small Southern town.Octogenarian Myrtle Clover, bored by bingo and bridge, is intrigued by the crime...and her neighbors' secrets. But discovering, and blabbing, secrets got Tammy killed and Myrtle soon learns her sleuthing isn't just dangerous...it's deadly.A Body in the Backyard:Extreme gardening often involves gnomes and planted bodies…It’s just an ordinary day for octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover—until her yardman discovers a dead body planted in her backyard. This death isn’t cut and dried—the victim was bashed in the head with one of Myrtle’s garden gnomes.Myrtle’s friend Miles recognizes the body and identifies him as Charles Clayborne… reluctantly admitting he’s a cousin. Charles wasn’t the sort of relative you bragged about—he was a garden variety sleaze, which is very likely why he ended up murdered. As Myrtle starts digging up dirt to nip the killings in the bud, someone’s focused on scaring her off the case. Myrtle vows to find the murderer…before she’s pushing up daisies, herself.Other Works...**If you want more Myrtle Clover, please check out the other books in the series: The books can be read out of order, but the technical order of the books is as follows: Pretty is as Pretty Dies, Progressive Dinner Deadly, Dyeing Shame, A Body in the Backyard, Death at a Drop-In, A Body at Book Club, Death Pays a Visit, and A Body at Bunco. Sign up for Elizabeth’s free newsletter to keep updated on new releases and for recipes and other extras (your address is never shared and you may always unsubscribe): h***:://eepurl.com/kCy5j **If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you'll want to check out Elizabeth's other series, The Southern Quilting Mysteries and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries (written as Riley Adams).
There are no renewals when you’re permanently checked out. When librarian Ann Beckett finally reluctantly agrees to being set-up on a blind date by one of her over-eager patrons, she figures that the worst that could happen would be that the two of them wouldn’t hit it off. Little did she know that she’d be stood up…because her date was murdered. With the help from her patrons, Ann tries to find out who might be responsible in the small town of Whitby before more residents are permanently checked out.
Carmen King is a busy woman. Not only does she sit on the library board and dabble in the Friends of the Library, but she juggles quite a few relationships at once. Apparently, this doesn't go over well with at least one of her boyfriends—Carmen is found dead at the bottom of the library staircase. Librarian Ann Beckett not only finds Carmen's body, but finds herself entangled in Carmen's mysterious death as she sets out to learn why Carmen's death, from the killer's perspective, was overdue.
Parke Stockard was certainly sitting pretty. Blessed with good looks and business sense to boot, she should have been content. Instead, Parke makes trouble in her small town. When retired octogenarian schoolteacher Myrtle Clover discovers her body, no one in Bradley is particularly upset. Myrtle decides to show up her police chief son and investigate the crime herself. And, just in time to play detective, she meets a widower newcomer who proves the perfect sidekick.
Myrtle has decided that she’s actually a very good cook. In fact, she feels she’s such a good cook that she elects to hone her skills at a cooking school. She persuades her reluctant friend Miles to join her, convinced they both could use some inspiration in the kitchen. This cooking school enrolls one rather loud-mouth student who quickly makes everyone fed-up. This unfortunate student, fond of telling tales out of school, learns that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Myrtle and Miles must use class act detecting skills to learn who’s been schooled in murder before someone else’s goose gets cooked.
Someone will be getting coal in his stocking . . . It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the small town of Bradley, North Carolina. Wreaths adorn doors, halls are decked, and candles cheerfully glow in windows. Adding to the Christmas excitement, there's also a lovely local wedding with many guests to wish the couple well. The wedding becomes a bit too exciting, however, when octogenarian sleuth Myrtle discovers the bride's rather outspoken aunt, mysteriously murdered. Myrtle and her senior sidekick must find the killer before someone else doesn't make it home for Christmas.
It's hard keeping secrets in small towns. At first, librarian Ann Beckett is delighted her director hired another full-time staff member. The Whitby Library is a busy place and another librarian should make life much easier there. Instead, she soon discovers that the new hire, Ellie, seems to be bent on creating issues instead of solving them. When she's found dead at the library, no one is as shocked as they might have been. With time running out and a desperate killer on the loose, Ann starts uncovering all the secrets Ellie was trying to keep hush-hush.
Extreme gardening often involves gnomes and planted bodies… It’s just an ordinary day for octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover—until her yardman discovers a dead body planted in her backyard. This death isn’t cut and dried—the victim was bashed in the head with one of Myrtle’s garden gnomes. Myrtle’s friend Miles recognizes the body and identifies him as Charles Clayborne… reluctantly admitting he’s a cousin. Charles wasn’t the sort of relative you bragged about—he was a garden variety sleaze, which is very likely why he ended up murdered. As Myrtle starts digging up dirt to nip the killings in the bud, someone’s focused on scaring her off the case. Myrtle vows to find the murderer…before she’s pushing up daisies, herself.
Silence is golden …unless you're permanently hushed up. When Lillian Johnson was found dead one hot summer day, no one in the town of Bradley, North Carolina was all that surprised. Lillian had always talked about the trials of her various health problems and was sure to share with everyone exactly how much she suffered. The townspeople were only slightly more surprised to discover that Lillian had been murdered. That's because Lillian, like most folks, had a dark side. And a fair number of people had experienced this dark side. Myrtle Clover, octogenarian sleuth and intrepid reporter, investigates Lillian's death to discover precisely who hushed her up. . . before someone else is permanently silenced.
Praise for the Myrtle Clover series… ForeWord: "The treat here is Myrtle's eccentricity, brought to life with rich humor and executed ...with breezy skill." Overview: Who wants chips and dip when they can have Dickens and Twain? To the residents of the sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, hardworking Jill Caulfield seemed beyond reproach. She volunteered at the women’s shelter, worked at the church preschool, cleaned houses for extra money, and actually enjoyed yard work. And she was nothing less than a saint to cheerfully put up with her unemployed, skirt-chasing, boozer of a husband. When intrepid octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover caught Jill, her new housekeeper, peering into her medicine cabinet, she should have been upset. But discovering that Jill wasn’t such a squeaky-clean goody-goody made her vastly more interesting in Myrtle’s eyes. Myrtle would have happily continued figuring out what made Jill Caulfield tick. If Jill hadn’t foolishly gone and gotten herself murdered, that is.Sign up for Elizabeth’s free newsletter to keep updated on new releases and for recipes and other extras (your address is never shared and you may always unsubscribe): h***:://eepurl.com/kCy5j **If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you'll want to check out Elizabeth's other series, The Southern Quilting Mysteries and the Memphis Barbeque Mysteries (written as Riley Adams).
Myrtle has decided that she’s actually a very good cook. In fact, she feels she’s such a good cook that she elects to hone her skills at a cooking school. She persuades her reluctant friend Miles to join her, convinced they both could use some inspiration in the kitchen. This cooking school enrolls one rather loud-mouth student who quickly makes everyone fed-up. This unfortunate student, fond of telling tales out of school, learns that one man’s meat is another man’s poison. Myrtle and Miles must use class act detecting skills to learn who’s been schooled in murder before someone else’s goose gets cooked.
At Greener Pastures Retirement Home, leisure time can prove perilous. When psychic (and hubcap retailer) Wanda Alewine pays a late-night visit to Myrtle Clover, she urges the octogenarian sleuth to head straight to Greener Pastures Retirement Home. But Wanda doesn’t want Myrtle to consider the Home’s dubious amenities–she wants Myrtle to prevent a murder seen in a vision. Reluctant Myrtle investigates with sidekick Miles, who seems a lot more interested in Greener Pastures than she is. As the duo digs, they uncover more than just Sudoku and Scrabble—they discover a sinister undercurrent… with murder as its outcome.
This book goes from 'tell-all' to 'dead men tell no tales.' Retired English teacher Myrtle Clover is frequently asked to proofread for friends. So she wasn't totally surprised when her friend Pearl asked her to take a look at her memoir and polish it up. But before Myrtle could pull out her red pen, Pearl was found … murdered. Now Myrtle and her senior sidekick Miles must track down the memoir and the murderer before the killer makes any more final revisions.
Parke Stockard was certainly sitting pretty. Blessed with good looks and business sense to boot, she should have been content. Instead, Parke makes trouble in her small town. When retired octogenarian schoolteacher Myrtle Clover discovers her body, no one in Bradley is particularly upset. Myrtle decides to show up her police chief son and investigate the crime herself. And, just in time to play detective, she meets a widower newcomer who proves the perfect sidekick.
When Beauty Box beautician Tammy Smith is discovered with a pair of hair shears in her back, there are suspects and secrets aplenty in her small Southern town. Octogenarian Myrtle Clover, bored by bingo and bridge, is intrigued by the crime...and her neighbors' secrets. But discovering, and blabbing, secrets got Tammy killed and Myrtle soon learns her sleuthing isn't just dangerous...it's deadly.
Who wants chips and dip when they can have Dickens and Twain? To the residents of the sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, hardworking Jill Caulfield seemed beyond reproach. She volunteered at the women’s shelter, worked at the church preschool, cleaned houses for extra money, and actually enjoyed yard work. And she was nothing less than a saint to cheerfully put up with her unemployed, skirt-chasing, boozer of a husband. When intrepid octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover caught Jill, her new housekeeper, peering into her medicine cabinet, she should have been upset. But discovering that Jill wasn’t such a squeaky-clean goody-goody made her vastly more interesting in Myrtle’s eyes. Myrtle would have happily continued figuring out what made Jill Caulfield tick. If Jill hadn’t foolishly gone and gotten herself murdered, that is.
This book goes from ‘tell-all’ to ‘dead men tell no tales.’ Retired English teacher Myrtle Clover is frequently asked to proofread for friends. So she wasn’t totally surprised when her friend Pearl asked her to take a look at her memoir and polish it up. But before Myrtle could pull out her red pen, Pearl was found … murdered. Now Myrtle and her senior sidekick Miles must track down the memoir and the murderer before the killer makes any more final revisions.
Sometimes taking a spin makes you crash and burn. When a neighbor disappears, Myrtle and Miles shift gears and hit the road to search for him. They discover their neighbor slightly off the beaten track—murdered with a tire iron. Myrtle has no intention of letting the killer give them the slip. She and Miles buckle up for a race against time to find the murderer…before someone else hits a dead end.
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