stories in and

The Flourishing

The Flourishing by Merlina Garance

When Andy Campbell, Detective Inspector in Leicester, gets assigned the case of Mr Parry’s disappearance, she expects to find nothing else than an umpteenth marriage ruined by a husband taking off with his mistress. Instead, she ends up investigating a murder case, and struggling to fight her attraction for Mrs Parry. When she realises the feelings are mutual, things definitely get complicated



Meeting over Murder

Meeting over Murder by Edale Lane

Two women, a dead teen, and a cruel killer at large. From award-winning, best-selling author Edale Lane comes a new contemporary sapphic mystery! Jenna Ferrari is a tough-to-the-bone homicide detective with no patience for stupidity and an Italian’s penchant for displays of emotion. While she excels at catching criminals, she continues to strike out at relationships. At thirty-two, she wonders if she’ll ever find the right woman. A brilliant, creative college literature professor, Miranda McLeod is respected by her peers and loved by her students. After years of walking an ambiguous line, she wants to come out but doesn’t know how. When the two meet over the case of a murder on campus, could they have both found what they’ve been looking for, or will the unknown killer on the loose foil their chances for romance? This is the first in a series of contemporary sapphic crime-solving novellas and novels set in Roanoke, VA. (Book 6 is a Golden Crown Award Finalist for 2024.) Enjoy the sweet romance, follow the action, see if you can solve the mysteries, and discover the biggest enigma of all lies in the human heart. ˃˃˃ Love a whodunnit? You'll love it more when it's heated with a sweet sapphic romance! Meeting over Murder introduces you to characters you'll love while you test your skills against theirs to see who solves the crime first. The clues are there. Will you put them together before Detective Ferrari?


Mushroom Blues

Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson

SPFBO10

“A fascinating merging of oppressive imperialism and disconcerting alienation.”—Adrian Tchaikovsky, award-winning author of Children of Time & Shadows of the Apt SPFBO X Finalist. Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. ENTER THE FUNGALVERSE. Blade Runner, True Detective and District 9 meld with the weird worlds of Jeff VanderMeer, Philip K. Dick and China MiĂ©ville in Adrian M. Gibson’s hallucinatory, fungalpunk noir debut. Two years after a devastating defeat in the decade-long Spore War, the island nation of Hƍppon and its capital city of Neo Kinoko are occupied by invading Coprinian forces. Its fungal citizens are in dire straits, wracked by food shortages, poverty and an influx of war refugees. Even worse, the corrupt occupiers exploit their power, hounding the native population. As a winter storm looms over the metropolis, NKPD homicide detective Henrietta Hofmann begrudgingly partners up with mushroom-headed patrol officer Koji Nameko to investigate the mysterious murders of fungal and half-breed children. Their investigation drags them deep into the seedy underbelly of a war-torn city, one brimming with colonizers, criminal gangs, racial division and moral decay. In order to solve the case and unravel the truth, Hofmann must challenge her past and embrace fungal ways. What she and Nameko uncover in the midst of this frigid wasteland will chill them to the core, but will they make it through the storm alive? “This is like nothing I’ve read before. Its premise is cool, creepy, and incredibly unique, bolstered by prose as savvy and knife-sharp as the detectives of the NKPD.”—Nicholas Eames, award-winning author of Kings of the Wyld & Bloody Rose “This is more than a full-throttle, mushroom-and-blood-drenched adventure. At its heart, Gibson's story is one of acceptance: of hard truths, of others, and, perhaps most critically, of oneself.”—M. J. Kuhn, internationally bestselling author of Among Thieves & Thick as Thieves “Mushroom Blues is a brilliant debut that encapsulates all I love about the noir mystery genre.” —R.R. Virdi, bestselling author of The First Binding & The Grave Report “The imagination on display in Mushroom Blues is immense. Prepare to enter a fantasy world unlike anything you've ever seen, one that surprises, delights, and grosses the fuck out.”—Moses Ose Utomi, author of The Lies of the Ajungo


Inspector Stone Mysteries Volume 2 (Books 4-6)

Inspector Stone Mysteries Volume 2 (Books 4-6) by Alex R Carver

Volume 1 of the Inspector Stone Mysteries, containing books 4-6 Into The Fire When the Larsson Studio and its owner suffer a series of attacks, Nathan Stone must not only figure out who is responsible, he must try to lay to rest the rumours that have led to them. Rumours that have been encouraged by the local paper. Just as he is putting that case to bed a body is discovered in a burned out car in Branton Wood, a car that is connected to Kurt Walker, the man who murdered his family. Nathan must decide whether he is the right man to investigate, and figure out how a man who has been dead for nine months can be connected to a body that is only days old. Is it a coincidence, or is there something more going on? A Stone's Throw A dead body really ruins your holiday. During a much-needed break in Devon, Inspector Nathan Stone finds himself at the centre of a murder investigation when the wife of the owner of the hotel is found killed. The last person to see her alive, he must contend with the suspicions of the local police. The arrival of a storm that isolates the small village of Donningford from the outside world changes everything, however, and Nathan must take charge of the investigation. A second murder drives home a frightening fact: Nathan, the other guests, and the hotel staff are sharing a roof with a hate-filled killer who will stop at nothing to exact revenge
and to prevent the police from discovering the truth. Under Pressure Nathan Stone hasn't long got back from a holiday, but he could already do with another one. Between a murder, an unexplained drowning, a trio of assaults, a missing teen, and an interdepartmental dispute over jurisdiction, he's under so much pressure he barely has time to sleep.


The Oakhurst Murders Duology

The Oakhurst Murders Duology by Alex R Carver

A peaceful paradise in rural England is torn apart by murder and mistrust as a serial killer stalks its daughters. Written In Blood: The Oakhurst Murders #1 A peaceful village torn apart by murder, mistrust, and a desire for revenge. When Oakhurst's daughters begin to turn up, brutally murdered and with accusatory words carved into their skin, the residents of the small, close-knit community are unwilling to believe that one of their own might be a killer. Suspicion falls on the village's newest resident, Zack Wild, attractive, charming, author of violent crime novels, and possessor of a dark history; he seems like the perfect suspect. As the investigation continues, the evidence against Wild mounts, but is prejudice against the newcomer affecting the judgment of Sergeant Mitchell, Constable Turner thinks so, and is prepared to do whatever she must to find the killer, whoever it might be. Who will be proved right, the sergeant or the constable? And will they catch the killer before he can strike again? Poetic Justice: The Oakhurst Murders #2 Caught, escaped, and now on the run. The killer has been caught, but before he can see the inside of a cell he escapes, leaving behind a trail of bodies. While Constable Melissa Turner deals with the aftermath of the murders, including the revelation of who was behind them, and a case of vandalism at the local stables, Detective Inspector Martins is given the task of hunting down the killer. As the body count mounts, and the killer becomes more and more desperate to get away, a storm builds overhead. Can Martins and the police catch him before more people die, or will the storm provide him with the cover he needs to make good his escape?


Poetic Justice (The Oakhurst Murders Book 2)

Poetic Justice (The Oakhurst Murders Book 2) by Alex R Carver

Caught, escaped, and now on the run. Kieran Wright, the teen serial killer who terrorised the village of Oakhurst in Written In Blood has been captured, but before he can see the inside of a cell he escapes, leaving behind a trail of bodies. Constable Melissa Turner is engrossed with the aftermath of the murders and the revelation of who was behind them, and a case of vandalism at the local stables. Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Martins is given the task of searching for and apprehending the killer. As the body count mounts, and Wright becomes more and more desperate to get away, a storm builds overhead. Can Martins and the police catch Wright before more people die, or will the storm provide him with the cover he needs to make good his escape?


Written In Blood (The Oakhurst Murders Book 1)

Written In Blood (The Oakhurst Murders Book 1) by Alex R Carver

A peaceful village torn apart by murder, mistrust, and a desire for revenge. When Oakhurst's daughters begin to turn up, brutally murdered and with accusatory words carved into their skin, the residents of the small, close-knit community are unwilling to believe that one of their own might be a killer. Suspicion falls on the village's newest resident, Zack Wild, attractive, charming, author of violent crime novels, and possessor of a dark history; he seems like the perfect suspect. As the investigation continues, the evidence against Wild mounts, but is prejudice against the newcomer affecting the judgment of Sergeant Mitchell, Constable Turner thinks so, and is prepared to do whatever she must to find the killer, whoever it might be. Who will be proved right, the sergeant or the constable? And will they catch the killer before he can strike again?


Inspector Stone Mysteries Volume 1 (Books 1-3)

Inspector Stone Mysteries Volume 1 (Books 1-3) by Alex R Carver

Volume 1 of the Inspector Stone Mysteries, containing books 1-3 Where There's a Will (Book 1) The kidnapping of a child on the way home from school is every parents worst nightmare, for the Keatings it's no nightmare, it's a reality. A reality made worse when it is suspected the Russian Mafia is behind the kidnapping to force Owen Keating to sell his business. Are the rumours true, or is there something else going on? An Eye For An Eye (Book 2) A sudden surge in murders across Branton leaves Nathan Stone wondering if the town has gone made, or if they could all be the work of one man. If so who is it, and why is he killing such a diverse group of people. A Perfect Pose (Book 3) The murder of a teen model draws Nathan Stone back to work after the tragic events of An Eye For An Eye. When rumours surface of abuse at the studio where Ellen Powers worked, Nathan must investigate whether that is why she was murdered, or if her death is connected to her pregnancy.


Under Pressure: Inspector Stone Mysteries #6

Under Pressure: Inspector Stone Mysteries #6 by Alex R Carver

Nathan Stone hasn't long got back from a holiday, but he could already do with another one. Between a murder, an unexplained drowning, a trio of assaults, a missing teen, and an interdepartmental dispute over jurisdiction, he's under so much pressure he barely has time to sleep. All of that would be bad enough without one of the assaults having occurred on his best friend, Louisa Orchard, leaving her in the same ITU where his wife died. He's determined to catch the people responsible, despite the strain that such a busy caseload and worry over his best friend is having on him. Can he keep himself together and awake long enough to solve the cases and hopefully see Louisa recover from her injuries?


A Stone's Throw: Inspector Stone Mysteries #5

A Stone's Throw: Inspector Stone Mysteries #5 by Alex R Carver

A dead body really ruins your holiday. During a much-needed break in Devon, Inspector Nathan Stone finds himself at the centre of a murder investigation when the wife of the owner of the hotel is found killed. The last person to see her alive, he must contend with the suspicions of the local police. The arrival of a storm that isolates the small village of Donningford from the outside world changes everything, however, and Nathan must take charge of the investigation. A second murder drives home a frightening fact: Nathan, the other guests, and the hotel staff are sharing a roof with a hate-filled killer who will stop at nothing to exact revenge
and to prevent the police from discovering the truth.


Into The Fire: Inspector Stone Mysteries #4

Into The Fire: Inspector Stone Mysteries #4 by Alex R Carver

The past just won't stay dead for Nathan Stone. When the Larsson Studio and its owner suffer a series of attacks, Nathan Stone must not only figure out who is responsible, he must try to lay to rest the rumours that have led to them. Rumours that have been encouraged by the local paper. Just as he is putting that case to bed a body is discovered in a burned out car in Branton Wood, a car that is connected to Kurt Walker, the man who murdered his family. Nathan must decide whether he is the right man to investigate, and figure out how a man who has been dead for nine months can be connected to a body that is only days old. Is it a coincidence, or is there something more going on?


A Perfect Pose: Inspector Stone Mysteries #3

A Perfect Pose: Inspector Stone Mysteries #3 by Alex R Carver

A dead model, a studio suspected of abuse, and a depressed detective. Three months after losing his family in a deadly blaze the discovery of a teenage girl's body on the riverbank draws Nathan Stone back to work and into a complicated case. Ellen Powers was a popular internet model with many adoring fans, so who would want to kill her? The investigation soon turns up many secrets, including the fact that Ellen was pregnant and planning an abortion. Was the studio she worked for covering up a dark secret of exploitation? Or was this a crime of passion? When Ellen's stepbrother is attacked soon after her body is discovered Nathan is sure there's a connection. The guy's not talking, though; what is he so determined to keep secret, even if it puts his life at risk? As the case deepens and they discover more about the murdered teen can Nathan Stone overcome his demons to find justice for an innocent young woman?


An Eye For An Eye: Inspector Stone Mysteries #2

An Eye For An Eye: Inspector Stone Mysteries #2 by Alex R Carver

Revenge comes to Branton. Inspector Stone's past catches up to him with blood and flames. A series of murders rocks the small town of Branton and leaves Inspector Stone with his toughest case, one which may see him paying a tremendous personal price if he can’t solve it quick enough. At first glance the murder of the wife and mother of an Asian shopkeeper appears racially motivated, and the local paper is quick to stir up tensions within the community. Another murder, this time the husband of a local barrister, an attack on a trio of teens, and the discovery of a previously unreported murder all lead Stone to the conclusion that something more than racism is at work. Before he can work out what connects these seemingly unrelated events he is distracted by the most tragic of events. Can Stone and his partner pull themselves together long enough to figure out who is responsible for bringing terror to the streets of Branton, or will the killer complete his fiendish plan and make good his escape?


Beginnings: The Omniscients

Beginnings: The Omniscients by Kevin Marstall

BEGINNINGS – The Omniscients – Book 2 Los Angeles, CA - It’s late 1993, as Detective Jason Markham embarks on a new investigation, one that will challenge his patience, his methods, and ultimately his mind. A heinous crime, an innocent victim, and a partner with whom working together is more difficult than solving the case. Struggling to train his attention on the clues in the continuing series of burglaries, instead Jason’s heart and mind remain focused on his personal investigation into the disappearance of the woman he loves. Driven to find her and know that she is safe, Markham’s actions stretch his physical, emotional, and mental state dangerously to its limits. New and old friends alike lend their support to Jason, but the detective’s tumultuous battle rages on against his new partner, his generations of memories that seem just beyond his grasp, and worst of all his own sense of self.


Discoveries: The Omniscients

Discoveries: The Omniscients by Kevin Marstall

DISCOVERIES – The Omniscients Los Angeles, CA - It’s 1993 and Detective Jason Markham faces a new case, unlike any he’s seen before. A nameless victim, no clues, and not a soul to care about the man’s unfortunate death. To make matters worse, sleepless nights, haunted by his memories, have him on the edge, and now a few chance encounters send his previously ordered life spiraling dangerously out of control. Love, friendship, betrayal, all swirling around him and threatening to consume his mind, Jason’s heart desires to trust but is thrust into conflict with generations of wisdom passed down to him from his father and grandfathers before him.


Where There's a Will: Inspector Stone Mysteries #1

Where There's a Will: Inspector Stone Mysteries #1 by Alex R Carver

The kidnapping of a child is every parent's worst nightmare, for the Keatings though it isn't a nightmare, it's a reality. Inspector Stone is tasked with finding Alice Keating and bringing her home safely. Hard enough under normal circumstances, but between investigating an unrelated armed robbery, family problems, and the machinations of an ambitious underling, it's almost impossible. Unbeknown to either Stone or Alice's parents, the kidnappers have more in mind than collecting a ransom. And when it turns out that the Russian Mafia might be involved in the kidnapping, things begin to spiral out of Stone's control. Can Stone find Alice before the kidnappers make good on their threats? If not it won't just be Alice that becomes a victim to their deadly plans...


The Long Game

The Long Game by D.W. Howard

Lieutenant Michael Domenicalli and his team have been called to the scene of a riot and a double homicide the Queen’s Women’s Medical Clinic. What appears to be a simple case becomes murky as details begin to connect the double homicide to the Clockwork Murders the team thought they solved years before.


Tracker

Tracker by Bethany Votaw

A young detective desperate to fix his mistake. A recluse pulled from the woods. A murderer on the run. Detective Adam Reis has everything to prove and mistakes to fix. He enlists the help of local search and rescue and an unlikely tracker to help him find a murderer who fled into the winter Montana wilderness. An old recluse, Clay, comes out of the forest when asked to be a tracker. Clay has his own secrets to hide but reluctantly agrees to help the young detective. Will these two unlikely men work together to track a dangerous man through the fierce terrain and snow? Or will their own secrets be their downfall?


Injustice For All

Injustice For All by Jeremy D Savage

Damon, a man on death row, finds himself with little time left. He meets his new psychiatrist, Doctor Emily Zurig, who is there to help him find peace before his final days, and convinces her to help him find the truth. While she is initially reluctant, through their sessions, she begins to see Damon in a different light. With the help of her superstar detective husband, Evan Zurig, they work to find the truth about the murders that Damon has been sentenced for. While Damon works to find peace, through fighting the demons of his past, he struggles to understand what it all means and what it's all for. He begins to lose faith as the time gets closer to his death. The ultimate questions arise: Should he even fight anymore? What's the point? Doctor Zurig and her husband work diligently to put the pieces together, but will it be too late?


The Toy Maker

The Toy Maker by Melanie Flynn

A missing woman. A serial killer on the loose. A smart-mouthed private investigator on the case. What could go wrong? Rylee Scott is a New York private investigator with a secret: she's psychic and allergic to her cat. But only one of these secrets has the power to break her. When she's hired to find a missing woman, she finds herself racing against the clock to save her before she becomes the next victim of a prolific serial killer, the Toy Maker, who turns his victims into beautiful and horrific life-size versions of classic toys. After years of living under the radar, Rylee will have to enlist the help of the NYPD if she has any hope of bringing the woman home safe. Calum Reese is an NYPD detective with a southern accent, a chip on his shoulder and a secret of his own. On the hunt for the Toy Maker, he finds himself working with a certain private investigator who knows things she shouldn't and refuses to play by his rules. Can they put aside their differences to catch the killer before more bodies drop? Or will they be drowning in corpses before long?


Quiet, Pretty Things

Quiet, Pretty Things by Megan Stockton

Small town detectives investigate a string of puzzling local murders, and tensions rise as fatal mistakes inadvertently direct the killer's focus onto them.


Novak's Mission

Novak's Mission by James H Lewis

When Karol Novak takes over a scandal-ridden police force, he has two murders to solve and years of corruption to clean up. The last thing he needs is to reopen a closed murder case.But that’s the birthday wish of a nine-year-old girl, making it difficult for him to refuse. Since the request comes through Novak’s wife, it’s impossible. When Novak grudgingly peeks into the case, he doesn’t like what he finds. The borough council resists his spending another minute on the case, but don’t try telling a veteran Pittsburgh cop he can’t do his job. Whoever wants the case dropped wants Novak out and is using a secret from his past against him. When one of his officers disappears while investigating the old case, Karol Novak has only hours to bring her back, solve all three murders, and save his job and reputation. The gritty detail of police work is reminiscent of Ed McBain’s police procedurals, while the relationship between Karol and Barbara Novak recalls Donna Leon’s Venetian mysteries. Will Novak answer the nine-year-old’s plea before the council forces him out? Find out for yourself by buying this engaging novel of small-town policing.


Novak's Quest

Novak's Quest by James H Lewis

Former Pittsburgh police detective Karol Novak came out of retirement to lead his borough’s scandal-ridden police department. Having instituted sweeping reforms, Novak is ready to walk away. He hates small-town politics and wants to resume his search for the predator priest who preyed on him and his closest friend years before. A dying man’s wish derails his plan, drawing him into the unsolved murder of a young woman two decades earlier. As the investigation unfolds, Novak and his team discover a similar unsolved murder. Are the two deaths related? Are they the work of a serial killer? While they work to answer these questions, Novak must also locate a three-year-old child who has disappeared without a trace. This is the second Chief Novak novel by the author of Novak’s Mission, praised by Reedsy Discovery as “an entertaining and intriguing police mystery that will draw readers along a misty trail that reveals a hidden crime.”


SHE

SHE by Tiffany Christina Lewis

For a rare moment in his life, newly promoted Det. Sergeant Michael Taylor is failing. The same day he began supervising an all-star group of four detectives, Taylor and his partner Det. Alex Jamison, get the case of an 18-year-old young man, shot dead in a fellow classmates’ bed. The seemingly perfect victim has one problem: girls. The case is made more challenging by the fact that the high schoolers involved are living secret lives and trying to save their own skin at every turn. At the same time, Taylor is being emotionally destroyed by his love interest, Azlynn Matthews. In turn, he is aiming his vexation at the detectives on his team. Due to his domineering and forceful management style, the team is on the verge of breaking down. Taylor must now combat his personal failures in order to pull his team back together, prevent the woman he wants from leaving him, and catch a maddening killer.


UNFURLING: A Tale of Friendship, Love, Mystery, and Mayhem

UNFURLING: A Tale of Friendship, Love, Mystery, and Mayhem by Tia Ray Dhar

Can an unexpected turn of events, including a mystery, guide you towards a sense of purpose in life? Dr. Mandira Sharma (Mandy), a recent medical school graduate from Mumbai, doesn't feel passionate about her residency in internal medicine and feels devoid of a general sense of purpose in life. Currently, her happiness revolves around making new friends and spending time with them at work or outdoor venues. Her general feeling of isolation and disinterest in her medicine residency accentuates when her two close friends go overseas, and someone she loves and cares deeply about decides to part ways. She navigates through her daily routine devoid of zest or enthusiasm, trying to cope with the current painful scenario. However, tragedy strikes again when two meeting attendees find Mandy's friend and graduate student Latika's body floating in a pool on the premises during a blackout at a psychology workshop venue. An investigative team launches a detailed probe into the crime's motive and modus operandi, and the cohort of meeting attendees, including Mandy, come under the lens of suspicion. Can Mandy help solve the case? Will she find a sense of purpose? Any reader who enjoys a university campus-themed friendship and romance-based novel with a suspenseful murder mystery will enjoy reading this story.


El Jefe

El Jefe by Tiffany Christina Lewis

In this third installment of the series, Detective Michael Taylor of the Oakland PD has a decision to make: Should he begin an investigation against his corrupt lieutenant? After being given a file of evidence against him, Michael is expected to act. He knows that after multiple attempts on his own life, opening this investigation would put himself, all of his loved ones and his partner Det. Alex Jamison in danger. As Michael contemplates the case, he and Jamison get a late-night call to the residence of Mia McDowell, who is found assaulted and murdered. Although it initially looks like a breaking and entering, Michael can sense something isn’t right. Just as his momentum rises, Lt. Bruce Vega, the corrupt supervisor in question, arrives on the scene. As the two come head to head, Michael removes himself from the situation only to find that he has fueled Lt. Vega’s fire, and he is now under a month’s suspension. Now Michael has to make some choices: will he investigate Lt. Vega and risk everything or will he do nothing and risk losing himself?


Stitches

Stitches by Tiffany Christina Lewis

Oakland Police Detective Michael Taylor is faced with another gruesome case: a dead man with no eyes and lips sewn shut. After catching a grisly Bay Area serial killer, Michael is hit on all sides by change. He starts his investigation with a rookie detective for a partner, his love life is in turmoil, and the pressure at the PD is mounting as the newly minted partners receive a second case that is being pressed as a priority. Michael, the consummate loner, has to manage all of his new relationships, keep his wits and juggle the demands of the PD as he tries to get justice for his victim. Just as the tag team start to hit a stride, the murder attempts start to pile up and Michael is in the crosshairs. The duo must work fast to defend their victim and save Michael’s life.


Inside Out

Inside Out by Tiffany Christina Lewis

Detective Michael Taylor, of the Oakland PD, is the lead on a horrific serial killer case. For six weeks, he has been cleaning up mounds of the killer’s mess. Bodies of men have been found chopped up and left, skin down, for display. Michael, mysterious to many in his department, is desperate to solve this case. Michael’s only form of stress relief, Candy, a stripper employed at a San Francisco club, begins to show genuine interest in him and they form a relationship amidst all the chaos that is Michael’s life. Between interviews and police reports, Michael makes time for her. Candy, more commonly known as Vanessa, gets tangled in Michael's case as things unfold. A killer’s desire for retribution leaves her a victim of crime. Vanessa has to use her wit and charm to keep a killer at bay as she leaves bread crumbs for Michael to follow. The lovers must survive a serial killer's plot for vengeance while practicing trust and loyalty throughout.


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