Showing results by author "Joanna Campbell Slan" in All Categories

As the mother of an active toddler and the wife of an often absent husband, Kiki Lowenstein already has both hands full. But when the Lowensteins move into their new house on the same day the construction crew leaves, Kiki must learn to juggle boxes, baby, and big expectations. Her determination to be a good neighbor hits a roadblock when she angers the Nordstroms, the couple who live next door. Then things come to an ugly climax when Sven Nordstrom dies under mysterious circumstances. Sadly, Kiki becomes a suspect.

Cara Mia Delgatto is doing historical research when she visits the House of Refuge, a way station for shipwrecked sailors, on Hutchinson's Island, Florida. But Cara gets a dose of historical reality when another visitor is stabbed—and she's called upon to administer first aid. The subsequent death of the victim weighs heavily on Cara. The police are stymied, but Cara is spunky and determined. Until she finds out whodunnit—and why—she's haunted by the senseless murder.

Cara's life is spinning out of control. A double-wedding is canceled at the last minute. A baby comes early. Her son decides he hates college. But none of that is as upsetting as the death of a young acquaintance, a food service professional with her whole life ahead of her. The drive-by shooting has left the cops without a suspect. Maybe it was simply a random act of violence. But Cara's curiosity, and her innate sense of humanity, drive her to keep asking questions. Who killed the girl with the purple hair? And why?

First they warned Jocelyn Johnson. Then they ticketed Jocelyn Johnson. Then someone murdered Jocelyn Johnson. Cara Mia Delgatto was looking for a lost ball when she found Jocelyn "JJ" Johnson face down in a sand trap. It wasn't a surprise. The neighbors hated JJ for the reckless way she drove her golf cart. Sure, she lived on the grounds of a swanky golf club, and yes, she had tons of money, but JJ ruined flowerbeds, terrorized grandkids, and made a nuisance of herself. Except . . . except . . . she's quiet now.

When a young caregiver is falsely accused of stealing from her elderly client, Cara Mia Delgatto refuses to stand by with her mouth shut. That famous Italian temper of Cara's is hotter than a bottle rocket. Instead of ignoring the girl's plight, Cara launches her own investigation, even though she has plenty to keep her busy at her store, The Treasure Chest, a shop specializing in upcycling, recycling, and repurposing with a coastal theme. If that wasn't enough, Cara's new beau has disappeared—vanished!—and she's forced to wonder how her taste in men could possibly be so bad?

There are two sides to every divorce . . . yours and the jerk's. In this case, there's Clancy's side and then there's the JERK's side. Of course, Kiki sides with Clancy because they're BFFs (Best Friends Forever). As for the JERK, well, the poor guy can't make up his mind.

An epidemic of teenage suicides leaves a rural community grieving—and the death toll keeps rising. Can Kiki go undercover as an art teacher at a local high school to help? To clear her calendar, Kiki must juggle multiple obligations and make a tough decision: Can she trust her in-laws (including her alcoholic mother-in-law) to take an out-of-state vacation with her kids? To make everything work, Kiki must move in with her OTHER mother-in-law and that's enough to make Kiki want to commit suicide. Once in place, Kiki suspects these are not just copycat deaths. There's another dynamic at work.

Two FBI agents come looking for Kiki's nanny, and suddenly the household is turned upside down. Kiki and her husband must ask themselves the toughest question they'll ever have to face: Can we trust this person with our kids? The answer might say more about them than it does about their nanny, Brawny.

All eight-year-old Erik wanted for his birthday was a bird. What he got was Solo—a traumatized lovebird whose mate was recently devoured by a boa constrictor at a local pet shop. But when Kiki learns that Solo originally belonged to Ruthie Goldman, a beloved member of their temple community who died after a brutal home invasion, she realizes this is no ordinary rescue pet. Solo may be small, but he's carrying big secrets—literally.

A nasty divorce leaves Cragan Collins with a mountain of bills and her grandmother to support. She takes a job as an ad salesperson for the Gazette. The market is tough, but Cragan finds a mentor in business reporter, Robert Smithson. One icy January day, Robert is found dead in a city park. His murder is dismissed as gay-on-gay crime. Cragan asks The Friday Night Mystery Club to find justice for Robert. Will Cragan's quest for the truth land her on the obituary page?

The arrival of Kiki's baby is cause for celebration, but Kiki herself suffers from a severe case of post-partum blues. Her mood darkens further when she learns that her friend Bonnie's newborn infant has been stolen from a local hospital. Bonnie is too grief-stricken to help the authorities. Can Kiki pull herself together long enough to step in? Bonnie won't talk to anyone else.

In this small Midwestern town, everyone has something to hide, from Japanese business interests eyeing a piece of property to an angry sharpshooter harboring a murderous obsession. Meanwhile, working women struggle to make their way in a man's world, and their primary opposition might well be...other women.

A weekend at a squire’s country home was intended to be a relaxing visit for Jane Eyre and her husband Edward Rochester. Jane looked forward to meeting the squire’s bride and the artist who’d been hired to paint portraits of the newlyweds. However, the household is anything but joyous! The squire’s new marriage has infuriated those who hoped to inherit his holdings. Then their host turns up dead. A tweeny—a maid who assisted both the Cook and the housemaids—is immediately blamed for the crime.

Strange happenings at Ferndean Manor threaten to spoil a Happy Christmas—Country squire Edward Rochester is determined to give his new bride, Jane Eyre, a Christmas to remember. Jane is equally committed to making this holiday special for Edward. But mysterious footsteps, disappearing food, and odd happenings cause both the Rochesters to worry.

When her husband’s damaged vision grows worse, Jane Eyre Rochester suggests a trip to an ocular specialist in London. But a night at the opera changes everything! And what seemed like a healing journey becomes a deadly puzzle that Jane must solve if she wants to protect those she loves.

Yorkshire, 1820. Happily married to a country squire and the mother of a young son, Jane Eyre Rochester enjoys an enviable life, one that as an orphan, she could have never dreamed would come true. But when a cryptic letter from her former student arrives—the writer begs for help—Jane will risk everything to save the life of an innocent child.

Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Dr. John Watson, are no strangers to danger—but a visitor’s claim that they are to be the targets of an assassin is unsettling. Moreover, the man says he has created a time machine that has whisked him away to the future. Astonishing! The idea is so outlandish that the great detective considers tossing the man out on the street. But there’s more.

This Christmas, shop owner Kiki Lowenstein has more than holiday crafts on her mind. As she juggles family responsibilities, her thriving business, and preparations for her famous Holiday Crafting Extravaganza, a series of mysterious burglaries plagues their quiet town of Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis. Kiki soon finds herself drawn into a sinister plot that goes far beyond stolen jewelry. With the help of her loyal Great Dane Gracie, her intuitive employee Nona, and a cast of colorful local characters, Kiki must unravel a web of deceit.

As the holiday season approaches, Kiki over-schedules herself and winds up running herself ragged. To make life even more stressful, she must fend off a stalker, a man determined to possess the object of his affection. Kiki's ace full-time employee, Clancy, has HUGE decisions to make. How do you put aside your hurt and disappointment when you've been betrayed? Is it selfish to think of yourself first? As Clancy ponders questions, Kiki stands on the sidelines, knowing this is not her choice to make.

Cragan calls an emergency meeting of the Friday Night Mystery Club. Can their combined talents prove that Pru is innocent? And will they find an answer in time to save Cragan from the wrath of a vengeful shooter?