Lights. Camera. Murder. by CS Poe
Summary:Silver Screen #1
Private investigator Rory Byrne has gained a reputation as someone the elite of New York City can trust to solve their problems quickly and quietly. So when a hotshot television producer hires him to recover a stolen script, Rory will have to go undercover on the set of a historical drama to complete the job. He has his hands full trying to investigate a skeptical crew while they work around the clock on The Bowery, a new show that promises to shake up the television industry. To make a delicate situation more complicated, the production is led by out-and-proud actor Marion Roosevelt, and Rory is downright smitten.
But every member of the cast and crew is a suspect in the theft. And the deeper Rory delves into their on-set personalities, the more suspicious Marion’s behavior becomes. If Rory is to uncover the theft without sacrificing the fate of The Bowery, he will have to trust his identity and his heart to Marion.
Previously featured in the Footsteps in the Dark anthology.
Despite Lights. Camera. Murder. being present day, it has a hint of noir and Hitchcockian feel to it and in my book that is not easy to do. You have a missing script, undercover PI, cast of wacky and wonky characters(and there's more than one that would make a viable murder victim) . . . what more could you want?
So as this is a mystery I won't say too much because I refuse to spoil anything. Rory and Martin are a well matched duo, a PI with only one rule for his personal relationships, don't lie, and an actor with a few possible secrets and his ability to act may add a few layers of "do I trust him" in Rory's mind.
I'll admit I was left guessing the whole time and that's not easy to accomplish. I'm not bragging or being immodest, it's just that mysteries in book, tv, & films are my favorite genre of choice so in my 47 years I've read & seen many plot bunnies play out. So I know when one keeps me stumped right to the reveal I found a winner. Can't wait to see what the author has in store for Rory and Martin down the road.
RATING:
Secret Simon by Davidson King
Summary:Simon
Being the nephew of one of the most infamous mob bosses in the world isn’t easy. Our family has enemies everywhere, and no one is safe without protection. Here I am at college with a fresh start, a new last name, and secrets hidden from those around me—life is going according to plan. Then one day on campus, I see him…and I want him to strip me bare…in more ways than one.
Rush
Abernathy is more than just the university I attend. It’s my destiny, my namesake. Singing and entertaining are who I am, but my father wants me to major in something more appropriate for the name I carry. I’ve resigned myself to being who my father wants, doing what he wants. Then Simon comes into my life…and turns everything upside down. Now I have a reason to fight for what I want.
Who knew our love story would lead to secrets revealed, murderous plots, and finding our forever buried under so many lies? Hopefully we’ll live long enough to see it.
(While Secret Simon is a Haven Hart Novel it is not linked to the 7 book story arc)
*Warning: Violence and mention of suicide*
HOLY HANNAH BATMAN! OMG! The Force is with us all! We have a new Haven Hart book by Davidson King!!!!!!
Okay, I got that out of my system, lets continue.
I should start by pointing out as the author mentions at the end of the blurb, Secret Simon is not linked to the original 7 book arc, story-wise at least. We see a few of the characters and of course "Simon" is Eight all grown up(he's still Eight to Snow but I have a feeling Snow will still be calling him Eight when he's 60). So if you haven't read Davidson King's Haven Hart universe you can start here although I don't know that I would want to, you won't be lost in any way, shape, or form. To be honest, I am a series-read-in-order kinda gal and Haven Hart is one of my all time favorite series of all genres.
Secret Simon. Flat out brilliant! This story has it all(okay there's no sci-fi or apocalyptic end of the world stuff although going after Christopher Manos' family probably won't end well for anyone) romance, mystery, heat, action, friendship, danger, love, family, and it wouldn't be Haven Hart without mayhem and plenty of well . . . heart(see what I did there😉😉).
Lets talk characters. Simon has become as wonderful an adult as he was when we first met him at 8. He may be blood to Christopher but Snow has made a lasting impression on him as well, which will only enhance his future role in the Manos family. Now, in case you haven't read Haven Hart's original 7 book arc, I won't go into too much detail for the I'm-a-spoiler-free-zone kinda gal but I will say there is a very important reason the book is titled Secret Simon. Don't worry, just because I won't spoil anything, the author doesn't leave you up in the air with a hundred questions of "why? what? who? or where?", King makes sure you got a feel for what's going on. As for Rush? He has a future written for him but is it the future he wants to write for himself? Yeah, you know what's coming: you have to read for yourself to find out. Trust me you will enjoy every minute of finding out. Put the two together and the chemistry just screams out at you.
What more can I say? I could say a lot but I'm going to end here or I'm afraid the longer I go on the more chance I'll get loose lipped(or loose fingers) and reveal more than I want. So I will just say this: Secret Simon has reinforced my love of Haven Hart and proven to me that it is an author's universe that belongs on my short list of "Whether they write a 4 paragraph holiday coda or 100 full length novels I'll be first in line to gobble them up". Davidson King once again provides her readers with an unforgettable tale that entertains and captures their attention from beginning to end, further cementing her place in the world as a topnotch storyteller.
RATING:
The Case of the Boy in Blue by Amanda Meuwissen
Leonard Quill, private investigator, never expected a case to walk through his door quite like this one, complete with murder, a frame job, blackmail, and powerful players, especially coming from a man with bright blue eyes behind his glasses, a crooked bow tie, and an impossible smile.
The Case of the Boy in Blue is a wonderfully told film noir setting, has a very 40s feel though I don't recall reading an actual date. Okay, so there's no femme fatale that most feel is necessary for actual noir but I never felt it had to have that character for the genre. Leonard and Westley play off each other in a spectacular fashion that is perfect for the setting and mystery. Combine their connection with the world building and you have a read that borders on remarkable for a short story.
I've never read Amanda Meuwissen before but this won't be the last, I look forward to checking out her backlist and any future stories. If you are like me and Amanda Meuwissen is a new-to-you author, The Case of the Boy in Blue is a perfect piece to introduce yourself, the balance of mystery, humor, attraction, and world building(the "remarkable" element I mentioned above) creates a memorable, fun, entertaining gem.
RATING:
Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem by Charlie Cochrane
Summary:
Cambridge Fellows Mysteries #12.9
Jonty Stewart and Orlando Coppersmith get asked by Lord Henry Byrd to locate a treasure trove that mysteriously disappeared many years ago. But is that the case Lord Henry actually wants them to solve?
Original Review March 2021:
First off, Cambridge Fellows Mysteries just keeps getting better and better. Normally after 20 or so stories, between full-length novels, novellas, shorts, & free codas on the author's website, ideas would be getting weaker, perhaps even cliche or "copied" but not Jonty and Orlando. These two fellas from St. Bride's is like a fine wine(better actually because I'm not a wine drinker) they strengthen and become enriched with age.
Truth be told, the author's talent sharpen with each new entry as well. Charlie Cochrane's knack for storytelling, for making the reader feel like a participant in the investigations, for having a healthy balance of staying true to the era and not making it a history lesson standout in these later released novellas. I say that not because the original novels aren't as good or lack the above mentioned elements but because the novellas, well I don't want to say they "jump around" in the timeline but they are set throughout and in doing so the author has to re-visit the characters' strengths and weaknesses that they may have overcome in later timeline(such as how they were post-war compared to new lovers). Sometimes when an author "goes backward in time" they forget and write them as they were later and when that happens certain things are lost and seem out of place. Not Charlie Cochrane and her Cambridge investigative duo, she recreates, revisits, and furthers their journey all the while giving them new and intriguing cases to solve.
Now as for particulars in Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem, I think you know my answer: read it for yourself to find out because with a mystery too many seemingly insignificant elements can actually change the whole course of the investigation. And I won't spoil that journey. I will say, as per their norm, sometimes the non-answers to one query can lead to solutions in another. What's not to like? You got lost treasure(or possibly lost), possible ghost sightings, possible murder, possible accidents, just so many possibles that it's no wonder the title is Solving the Wrong Problem. As usual Jonty and Orlando are up to the task. Sometimes I think the men are living their very own "Choose Your Own Adventure" adventure in this novella.
I should mention that even though we don't see as many of the mens' typical sidekicks in this one, they aren't completely on their own either. It's still glorious to see Mr. & Mrs. Stewart lending their knowledge into the clue seeking business again. I think it's one of the things I've always found so brilliant with Cambridge Fellows, not only is the main couple a Holmes & Watson(shhh! don't tell them I said that, especially Orlando😉) but Jonty's parents love it almost as much. So often parents, especially mothers and especially mothers of that era would be trying to tamp down the not-always-but-sometime dangerous side of the couple's "hobby" but not Mrs. Stewart, she loves the snooping just as much as her son and "son-in-law".
Okay, that's it, if I talk(or type) too much longer I'll start giving away secrets and that's not allowed here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, no matter how many full-length novels or one page codas, Miss Cochrane chooses to write, or more accurately that the boys decide to fill her in on, I'll be here reading them. This series, this couple will never get old.
One more thing: if you are new to the series than be sure to check out the author's website to get a chronological order of Cambridge Fellows but once you've read the first 4 or 5, I think you can really read them in any order. The first ones show the couple's romance explored more and so in order is more important IMO but the mysteries are always new to that entry. Sometimes there are details mentioned of previous cases but nothing that gives any case away or that leaves you wondering "WTH is going on?" However you choose to read it, don't let the number of entries scare you off because every single one is worth reading and experiencing.
RATING:
Summary:
Secrets and Scrabble #4
Mystery Stalks the Cobbled Streets of Pirate's Cove
Who or what is haunting elderly recluse Juliet Blackwell, what does it have to do with mysterious goings-on at the Salty Dog Pub--and why is any of it mystery bookshop owner Ellery Page's problem? According to sometimes boyfriend Police Chief Jack Carson, it's not Ellery's problem, and Ellery should stop asking awkward questions before it's too late.
Ellery couldn't agree more, but it's hard to say no when someone is as frightened as old Mrs. Blackwell. Mrs. Blackwell insists the ghost of long dead pirate Rufus Blackwell has come to avenge himself on the last member of his treacherous clan.
Before Ellery can say, "Yikes!" Mrs. Blackwell takes a tumble down the grand staircase of her spooky mansion, and it's up to Ellery to find who is trying to kill his eccentric customer.
Original Review August 2021:
Scandal at the Salty Dog. I think this is my favorite title in Josh Lanyon's Secrets and Scrabble series yet. Not only a great book title but Salty Dog is excellent for a bar name too. Fun! Yes, I know I use that word a lot when reviewing the entries in this series but it's the simplest and completely truthful word I can think of. . . FUN!
Normally I wouldn't spoil anything but technically it's in the blurb so me saying Ellery and Jack move forward with their relationship isn't actually a spoiler. Watching them take the next step is a delight, both emotionally and comedically. Don't worry, Salty Dog maintains the series' cozy status, the mens' chemistry may be light on the page but you just know the heat is there.
Ellery, who is still recovering from his adventures of Mystery at the Masquerade is trying to stay away from mayhem but it always has a way of finding him. Delivering books can be so dangerous😉😉. Ghosts, thieves, underground secret passages, wills, death . . . where does one start on the factors Ellery, Jack, Watson, Nora, and the Silver Sleuths face?
You'll just have to read this one for yourself to find out.
For those new to the series and are wondering about reading order. My suggestion is to start at the beginning. The mysteries begin and end in each book but the relationships between the main characters as well as other townsfolk evolve and will flow better if read in order.
RATING:
Lights. Camera. Murder. by CS Poe
GET BENT, DIPSHIT
The love note was scrawled across my grocery list on the refrigerator door. Which was fine. I preferred keeping all my reminders in a central location. Now I knew I needed to pick up milk, sugar, bread, and a new boyfriend.
My cell rang as I splashed some cream into my coffee. I pushed my tortoiseshell glasses up my nose and turned to pick up the phone from the counter behind me.
Caller ID: Nate.
Shocker.
I pressed Accept and put the phone to my ear. “Good morning, sunshine. I got your message.”
“You’re a sonofabitch, Rory!”
“I’ve been called worse things by better people.”
Nate’s audible gasp allowed me enough time to indulge in that first sip of morning coffee. “Only an asshole breaks up over text message,” he accused.
I winced at his shrill tone, pulled the phone away from my ear, set it to speaker, and put it back on the countertop. “I only have one rule, Nate.”
“Screw your rule.”
“And you broke it,” I continued without missing a beat.
“Maybe if you were a contributing member in our relationship, I wouldn’t have had to find someone else to fuck me senseless.”
I stared at the phone and messed my already disheveled hair with one hand. “I told you when we started dating just how much I worked.”
“And?”
“And if you need it day and night, I’m probably not the most suitable candidate in the dating pool.”
Nate let out a frustrated growl and then shouted loud enough to cause mic distortion, “Can you pretend like you give a damn right now?”
“It’s not worth my energy. You swore to never lie, and I caught you in one.” I took another sip of coffee while he sputtered and hissed. “Oh. I’d like my extra key back.” I gave the note on the fridge a second glance.
“Burn in hell, Rory.”
“Have a good life, Nate.”
“Hey, while we’re at it—I fucked your coworker too!” he screamed.
“Yeah, I know. Bye-bye.” I hit End, promptly deleted Nate’s contact information from my phone, and walked out of the kitchen.
Secret Simon by Davidson King
Prologue
My name is Simon, but you can call me Eight—I’ll explain that later—and this is the story of how my hope for a quiet drama-free college life blew up in my face…all because I fell in love.
Yes, I know, cheesy. But here’s the thing—it really is true. It’s more complex than that, and it wouldn’t be much of a story if it was all, “Met a boy, he was cool, we fell in love, the end.”
Truth is, I chose to go to college five hours from Haven Hart, where I grew up, not because I had a bad childhood or hated my family, but because everyone knew who I was there…Hell, everyone knew who I was for miles and miles from there. If you don’t know why, let me fill you in real fast.
I’m the nephew of the most powerful mob boss in Haven Hart, Christopher Manos. He isn’t your typical mobster, though. I’ve seen the documentaries on Al Capone and Joe Bonanno, and yeah, sure, my uncle killed and isn’t clean in a lot of ways. But he’s also the best man I know. My mom died when I was a baby, and he loved me as a son and raised me as far away from his lifestyle as possible…Or at least, he tried to. No matter how hard he tried, though, there was no way to hide that kind of stuff forever.
As a child I saw a lot of things I shouldn’t have, but when I was eight everything changed. There’s that number again. See, I got bored waiting in a car while my pops’s driver—Pops is what I call my uncle—went into the ice cream shop to get me some rocky road. So, I left the car and wandered around. That wasn’t a good idea, and yet it kinda was.
A couple of guys started hassling me. One was named Roy Sokolov, and he tried to kidnap me. But from the depths of a dark, dank alley came my guardian angel. His name is Snow. He saved me that day, and we saved him too. He and my pops fell in love, and that’s how I found the second-best person in my life. Snow, he calls me Eight—the age I was when he saved me—and because when he asked me what to call me, I wouldn’t give him my name and only my age…I think you get the picture.
After that night, I saw so much more. Years later, my pops and I were actually kidnapped. There was no escaping the life he lived and so, when it came time to go to college, I decided it should be far away in the hopes that no one would know who I was.
Snow suggested I use a different last name, and while it hurt my heart to do it, I knew he was right. There were forgeries made, and abracadabra! I became Simon Mancia.
Thankfully, I got through my first year of college easily. No one knew who I was—at least no one said anything. I dated a few people. Penelope for about six months, but we didn’t click the way a boyfriend and girlfriend should…Instead, she became my best friend. Then there was Raul. He was amazing, but he cheated on me after two months, and yeah…that sucked. I hadn’t been with anyone since. That was, until I saw Him. He was singing karaoke on the green at campus when I returned my second year. It was some welcome-back thing, and he was right there and…Wow.
Penelope told me his name was Rush, and that was all she knew. I decided it would be my mission to find out more and hope beyond hope that he’d take me up on an offer for coffee.
Well, there’s something to be said for falling in love with someone; you will risk it all. I did just that and more.
So, sit back and find out how my finally calm life was turned upside down…all because I fell in love.
The Case of the Boy in Blue by Amanda Meuwissen
Chapter 1
“Whadda ya mean, there’s already somebody waiting? It’s seven in the morning.”
“Been waiting since six, apparently.” Roxanne shrugs. She wears a little smirk that tells me I have a surprise waiting on the other side of that door that she finds extremely amusing.
Never a good sign.
Seven in the morning is early for most anyone in this town—save maybe me. And Roxanne. Been opening my door by seven sharp since I started this place two years ago, but Roxanne always manages to clock in first. Mark of a good bodyguard, I guess.
Oh, she looks like a dream, like some hot little number secretary too good for a dive like this—an old office building renting out to a dentist down one hall and an ambulance chasing lawyer down the other—but anyone who thinks Roxanne Shaeffer is a common dame is in for a rude awakening.
She just plays the part of secretary, makes people think I have to fend for myself, but I’m not dumb. Anyone working cases on the sly from the crooked cops in this town is bound to grab the attention of the families—and not the ‘home for dinner and have a cocktail’ sort of families. I need protection; Roxanne is it.
Spent five years overseas killing for a cause she doesn’t like to talk about, but she’s willing to kill if she has to in order to protect me for the right fee. She also answers the phones and puts most of the young women and old folks who come to my door at ease with her soft smile and pretty blond hair. It works.
She’s also loyal and a good friend, which means I know there isn’t some hitman with a grudge on the other side of that door, but her smirk could mean far more dangerous things.
“What is it this time?” I ask, ready to pluck the hat from my head but thinking better of it and simply taking off my coat to hang next to Roxanne’s white fur. She always does look good in white. In everything really, like a rose with poisonous thorns.
“Don’t know the case yet, but you’ll like the client. Just your type.” She grins like a shark with an unknowing meal in front of its teeth. Her dress is cinched at the waist today, cap sleeves, low cut, her hair curled perfectly around her face like a Hollywood starlet.
Sometimes my type is what I’m looking at right there in the twist of her red lips, but it isn’t in the cards for us. Besides, she has a lady friend whose company she prefers to any man who tries calling her ‘doll’, just as sultry as she is and twice as deadly. No one sane would ever get in the middle of that.
Unless they are very lucky.
But Roxanne doesn’t mean some knockout is in my office, not this time. “I’ll take your word for it,” I say and eye my door in suspicion before I reach for the knob.
My suit is gray today, vest included, red and silver tie, white shirt, but the hat is black, wrapped in red to match the tie, though a darker contrast. Some would say too dark, with my black trench instead of something tan, like the fashion calls for, but I prefer to blend into the shadows when I can.
The second I walk through the door to my office, I know this ‘client’ is worlds away from me, because he is all light.
“Mr. Quill?” A kid not much older than twenty-five turns around from being seated in the chair facing my desk. He stands with a clumsy scramble, pushing the rounded, gold-framed glasses he wears up the bridge of his nose and smiling in relief to see me.
That smile. It’s dimpled and crinkles his eyes—bright blue—in the most endearing way.
His bowtie is also blue with white polka dots, white crisp shirt, checkered sweater vest, with a uniquely shaped tweed jacket sporting larger, checkered lines like this kid is bisected every which way—and that seems to be the truth when I see the pain pushing through his smile.
He reaches for my hand before I’ve finished entering, before I can remove my hat like I should have outside. I accept it. His hand is warm, and I’d swear a shock shoots up my arm.
“Mr.…?”
“Valentine. Westley Valentine.” He smiles a little wider, shaking my hand with both of his, eager and a little too firm. Then he lets go and rubs both hands together like he’s itching to move, or maybe had a few too many cups of coffee. He didn’t get any here, that’s for sure. Roxanne doesn’t do coffee. Says I make it better. Maybe she’s right. I could certainly use some now.
Westley Valentine. Ginger-haired. Too young. Too wide-eyed. Too hunched and trying to make himself small, maybe because he feels small, but I know he’d be as tall as me if he stood up straight. This bundle of nerves and energy has his full attention on me.
I glance at his hands, which is easy enough since he won’t stop playing with them. No wedding band. How young is he, I wonder? How has this kid survived in a city like ours? Place is vicious, part of why I love it. But a kid like him should have been eaten alive years ago. Yet somehow I can tell he’s local.
“I need your help,” he says, because of course he does, that’s how this worked, and yet, he might as well have said, “I need you,” with the way his chest heaves and he stares at me like I’m his last possible savior.
Finally, I pluck the hat from my short black hair while crossing the room and toss it onto my desk. Young Mr. Valentine follows my movements with more precision than I would have given him credit for—a calculating, analytical mind, like mine. Interesting.
He also flushes bright scarlet when he gets a better look at my face that had been hidden beneath the hat and our eyes meet.
This kid was going to be trouble, I just knew it. “Have a seat, Mr. Valentine. What can I do for you?”
Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem by Charlie Cochrane
Orlando looked over to where a well-dressed chap in tweeds had entered the marquee. Without Applecross’s words, they’d have been able to guess the newcomer—every inch a peer of the realm—was the landowner. The deference shown by those present would also have sealed the case. His lordship surveyed the company, then made a beeline for Applecross, where the empty seat which had been so puzzling now made sense. Had it been kept free deliberately in case the man himself made an appearance?
Lord Henry paused, hands on the back of his chair, eyeing Jonty, who had turned his head round to get a view of the visitor. “Is that a Stewart I see before me?”
“It is, sir.” Jonty rose, then offered his hand to be shaken. “Jonathan, known as Jonty.”
His lordship pumped the hand up and down. “Very pleased to meet you. You’re the image of your mother, but I suppose you know that.”
“I’ve been told so often, yes.” Jonty beamed. “And I count myself lucky to have inherited her bone structure.”
“Magnificent woman. Like many of my generation, I’d have married her in a trice, but your father was too swift and determined for the rest of us.” He patted Jonty’s shoulder. “I’m far from alone in saying that I might have been your father. Perhaps you get tired of hearing men of my generation express that thought.”
“Not tired, no, although I no longer keep tally. I’ve realised how many heads and hearts Mama must have turned in her pomp.”
It was quite a familiar conversation with anyone of his lordship’s generation. Jonty never appeared to tire of the esteem in which his parents were held so neither, by association, did Orlando. He felt part of the Stewart family and always would. As if the thought gave birth to the act, Jonty words of introduction were, “Lord Henry, this is Dr Coppersmith, my colleague at St Bride’s and an old friend of the Stewarts. Almost an adopted son, in Mama’s eyes.”
“Splendid, splendid.” His lordship shook Orlando’s hand with equal enthusiasm. A plate of food, borne by Kane, appeared on the table. Lord Henry thanked the student, then they all took their seats. “I’m so pleased that you’re both present, gentlemen. I hear you’re a regular Holmes and Watson.”
Orlando forced a smile. How he hated the man from Baker Street: any comparisons with him were odious. “We’ve been fortunate to be consulted on certain mysteries that have evaded previous solution, yes.” He was aware he sounded pompous and those who knew him well would have recognised that meant he was getting worked up. Was it the mention of Holmes that had made his hackles rise or something about Lord Henry that rankled?
“I’ve read about some of your adventures, of course. Your father’s accounts of them always make amusing reading. Better than much else one finds in The Times. Might I enquire as to whether he has employed much artistic licence?”
“You may and the answer is not a single bit.” Jonty didn’t appear to be as insulted by the question as Orlando felt about it. How dare anyone imply that the accounts of their investigations had in any way been embroidered? If anything, they’d been moderated somewhat, real life being so often tinged with events that would be frankly unbelievable if put on paper. “You’ll be aware that my father has a reputation as being a stickler for the truth in all situations.”
If he didn’t know, he damn well should have, the tone implied. Evidently Jonty had been affronted, despite the charming smile he still wore.
Lord Henry either didn’t notice the indirect rebuke or ignored it. “That reassures me greatly. I have a question and I’ll come straight out with it. Would you be interested in casting an eye over an old mystery that puzzles my family? No hidden codes or gruesome murders, but something I would hope worthy of your cerebral capacity.”
Scandal at the Salty Dog by Josh Lanyon
Ellery Page was dreaming of New York.
He was standing in line, though whether for theater tickets or Absolute Bagels was unclear, when the person behind him leaned in and kissed the back of his neck.
Ellery’s eyes popped open. He was not in line. He was not in New York. He was in bed at Captain’s Seat—and the life-sized portrait of Captain Horatio Page was gazing down at him with a dubious expression.
“Better get a move on. You’re going to be late.”
That opinion was not offered by Captain Horatio Page. That was Pirate Cove’s police chief and Ellery’s, well, boyfriend, Jack Carson.
Ellery turned his head to answer, and his face was immediately covered in wet, passionate kisses. That was also not Captain Horatio Page. Nor, sadly, Jack. That was Watson, Ellery’s sixish-month-old black spaniel-mix puppy and occasional (according to Jack) partner in crime.
Ellery started to laugh, kissed Watson back—though less passionately. “Good morning to you too.”
Jack bent to scoop up Watson at the same moment Ellery sat up, and their collision ended up in a kiss that went on a little longer than either anticipated—ending in smiles and reluctant parting of lips.
As Jack drew back, Ellery realized he was already dressed—that navy-blue uniform really suited his athletic six foot, one hundred and ninety-plus pounds and rugged good looks—right down to his police boots.
“Yikes. I really am late.” Ellery threw back the sheet and summer blanket.
“No. I’m early. I’ve got breakfast with the State Police Superintendent.”
Ellery’s smile was wry. “That’s right. And dinner with the town council.”
“I could meet you for dessert?”
“Silver Sleuths. I promised Nora I’d look in.” This was his first day—his first official day—back at work after suffering what Jack referred to as an extra-curricular concussion. Amateur sleuthing turned out to be a hazardous hobby. Not that Ellery considered his sleuthing a hobby. Or even something he planned on doing again.
Jack considered. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”
“You tell me.”
Jack grinned, leaned in to kiss him one final time, and murmured, “I will. In detail.”
C.S. Poe is a Lambda Literary and two-time EPIC award finalist, and a FAPA award-winning author of gay mystery, romance, and speculative fiction.
She resides in New York City, but has also called Key West and Ibaraki, Japan, home in the past. She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued two cats—Milo and Kasper do their best to distract her from work on a daily basis.
C.S. is an alumna of the School of Visual Arts.
Her debut novel, The Mystery of Nevermore, was published 2016.
Davidson King, always had a hope that someday her daydreams would become real-life stories. As a child, you would often find her in her own world, thinking up the most insane situations. It may have taken her awhile, but she made her dream come true with her first published work, Snow Falling.
When she's not writing you can find her blogging away on Diverse Reader, her review and promotional site. She managed to wrangle herself a husband who matched her crazy and they hatched three wonderful children.
If you were to ask her what gave her the courage to finally publish, she'd tell you it was her amazing family and friends. Support is vital in all things and when you're afraid of your dreams, it will be your cheering section that will lift you up.
Amanda Meuwissen is a bisexual and happily married geek. Primarily an M/M romance author with a focus on urban fantasy, she has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed Creative Writing major from St. Olaf College and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. Amanda lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.
As Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice - like managing a rugby team - she writes. Her favourite genre is gay fiction, predominantly historical romances/mysteries, but she's making an increasing number of forays into the modern day. She's even been known to write about gay werewolves - albeit highly respectable ones.
Her Cambridge Fellows series of Edwardian romantic mysteries were instrumental in seeing her named Speak Its Name Author of the Year 2009. She’s a member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and International Thriller Writers Inc.
Bestselling author of over sixty titles of classic Male/Male fiction featuring twisty mystery, kickass adventure and unapologetic man-on-man romance, JOSH LANYON has been called "the Agatha Christie of gay mystery."
Her work has been translated into eleven languages. The FBI thriller Fair Game was the first male/male title to be published by Harlequin Mondadori, the largest romance publisher in Italy. Stranger on the Shore (Harper Collins Italia) was the first M/M title to be published in print. In 2016 Fatal Shadows placed #5 in Japan's annual Boy Love novel list (the first and only title by a foreign author to place on the list).
The Adrien English Series was awarded All Time Favorite Male Male Couple in the 2nd Annual contest held by the Goodreads M/M Group (which has over 22,000 members). Josh is an Eppie Award winner, a four-time Lambda Literary Award finalist for Gay Mystery, and the first ever recipient of the Goodreads Favorite M/M Author Lifetime Achievement award.
Josh is married and they live in Southern California.
CS Poe
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EMAIL: contact@cspoe.com
Davidson King
EMAIL: davidsonkingauthor@yahoo.com
Amanda Meuwissen
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iTUNES / GOOGLE PLAY / AUDIBLE
Charlie Cochrane
EMAIL: cochrane.charlie2@googlemail.com
Josh Lanyon
BLOG / NEWSLETTER / CHIRP
EMAIL: josh.lanyon@sbcglobal.net
Lights. Camera. Murder. by CS Poe
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KOBO / iTUNES / SMASHWORDS
Secret Simon by Davidson King
The Case of the Boy in Blue by Amanda Meuwissen
Lessons in Solving the Wrong Problem by Charlie Cochrane
Scandal at the Salty Dog by Josh Lanyon
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